* Exported from MasterCook * Elizabeth David's Gateau au Chocolat et aux Amandes Recipe By : French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Cakes Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1/4 lb Bittersweet chocolate 3 oz Butter 3 oz Confectioners sugar 3 oz Almonds -- ground to powder - in blender 3 Eggs -- separated 1 tb Rum or brandy and black coffee This cake is baked in a springform pan and the egg whites make it rise ever so slightly. As it cools, it slumps. The texture is of the finest fudge or the densest mousse. It is a pure, rich cake with a clear, cooked chocolate taste. All it needs is a little raspberry jam to glaze it and some whipped cream. Ice cream would kill it. Break the chocolate into small pieces; put them with the rum and coffee to melt in a cool oven. Stir the mixture well, put it with the butter, sugar, and ground almonds in a saucepan and stir over a low fire for a few minutes until all the ingredients are blended smoothly together. Off the fire, stir in the well-beaten egg yolks, and then fold in the stiffly-whipped whites. Turn into a lightly-buttered shallow sponge-cake tin, of 7 to 8" diameter, or a tart tin with a removable base. Stand the tin on a baking sheet and cook in a very low oven, 290°F, for about 45 minutes. This cake, owing to the total absence of flour, is rather fragile, so turn it out, when it is cool, with the utmost caution. It can either be served as it is, or covered with lightly whipped and sweetened cream. It is a cake which is equally good for dessert or for tea-time. Posted by: Therese Posted by: Laurie Colwin - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -