Thursday, March 24, 2011

La torta al cioccolato e mandorle di George

I have adapted this recipe from a Venetian cookery book. My nephew George loves this version and I can't help thinking of him whenever I make it and that makes baking it even more pleasurable :-)))! This smooth and velvety cake is an ideal starting point if you are a novice baker...but it is bound to titillate every palate...

Ingredients:

4 eggs, 125 g of sugar, 125 g ground almonds, 125 g dark chocolate, 125 g butter, 60 g plain flour, half a teaspoon of baking powder, a pich of salt. Cocoa powder to sprinkle on top.

Method:

Turn the oven on 170 degrees. Grease and flour a medium size baking tin.

Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl, over a pan of boiling water, bain marie. Leave aside to cool down. Mix eggs and sugar, until you get a creamy mixture, add chocolate and butter sauce, flour, dried almonds, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Fold in and work all the ingredients with a wooden spoon until you have a very smooth mixture. Pour it in the baking tin and bake for about 20 minutes. The cake is ready when it is firm around the edges but rather soft under the crust in the middle. Leave it to cool and then sprinkle some cocoa powder on top.

It is much better when eaten the day after, if you can resist....

P.S. George, this cake is for you!!!!