chocolate red berries almond cake

THE CHOCOLATE RED BERRIES ALMOND CAKE

is magiiiic... it's like eating thick chocolate paste filled with little crunchy wonders, it is flour-free beauty that smells, tastes and looks amazing... and is not too difficult to make :)

RECIPE

(adapted from Love Baking Chocolate magazine, Spring 2014 issue)

for the cake:

60g whole almonds

1 tbsp crystal sugar

150g cooking chocolate (70% cocoa) into pieces

90g caster sugar

90g butter into cubes

2 eggs, separated

+50g 70% chocolate for the spread on top

300g strawberries, raspberries and other berries of your choice

20g white chocolate chips

* it all starts with choosing your ingredients and preparing them

* preheat the oven to 180 C and toast the almonds until you hear them crackle and your kitchen smells delicious... now the hard part is to actually restrain yourself from eating them... after all you have 60g, better put some extra pieces in there, the leftover 60g put in a blender with the spoon of crystal sugar (extra tip: this is done to prevent your almonds turning into almond butter) and grind them finely... or not so much, after all you do want some crunchy pieces in your cake

* break the chocolate into pieces and put the chocolate, caster sugar (minus two spoons) and butter to melt on a water bath - when all is smooth and melted you can remove from the heat of the water and stir in the almond pieces

* the eggs are separated and the yolks are beaten together, then added to the chocolate mixture

* separate bowl: the egg whites are beaten with the two spoons of caster sugar with an electric mixer until soft peaks and start slowly folding in with the chocolate mixture

* now folding has to be done right - spoon by spoon and gently to ensure airy and light texture.. when you do it right you can eat the rest of the chocolate from the metal.. oh yes the folding very imortantly: done with a metal spoon or spatula!

* prepare your cake tin (18-20cm diameter) for a baby cake by lining it up with baking paper... i follow this very good advice, click here

* and bake for 25 minutes, take out, don't shake the cake too much and leave it to cool down for half an hour and then take it out of the form (ideally if with removable walls), when you see your top is cracked, do NOT worry, this will actually be the bottom of your cake :)

* melt the remaining 50g of chocolate on water bath and spread with a spatula evenly on the top

* decorateeee with your favourite berries!

* ideally allow to cool for several hours because the centre of the cake is gooey and it will only solidify once the cake is cool

okay the instructions seem long, but you will see is not all too much once you start making it :)