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Chocolate almond sponge

Chocolate almond sponge

Sunita Bhuyan
A no butter / no oil sponge cake which is easy to make and decorate
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Deorating 10 minutes
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 4 eggs
  • cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup plain whole wheat flour (I used atta)
  • tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 5 tbsp ground almonds

For the ganache-(see notes below)

  • 150 gms dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 250 mls single cream

Topping-

  • a couple of handfuls of almond flakes

Instructions
 

  • Pre heat the oven at 180 deg C and line an 8 inch round pan with foil and lightly grease it.
  • In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and almonds and keep aside.
  • In another bowl, beat the eggs with an electric beater for about 5 minutes or till thick and fluffy.
  • Gently fold in the flour mix into the egg mix, taking care not to knock off the air in the egg mixture. Mix only till everything is just moistened.
  • Tip the mixture into the pan and tap the pan gently against the counter to expel air bubbles.
  • Place the pan in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for about 27-30 minutes or till the top is firm and the cake is springy to the touch.
  • Cool the cake in the tin for a couple of minutes. Then gently remove the cake from the tin and remove the foil. Cool completely on a wire rack.

The ganache-

  • Add the finely chopped dark chocolate to a bowl and keep aside.
  • Add the cream to a small saucepan and place over medium heat.
  • As the cream heats and bubbles begin to form on the edges of the pan, remove from heat. Do not let the cream come to a rolling boil.
  • Pour the cream immediately over the chocolate and leave for a minute.
  • Whisk the cream and chocolate until the chocolate melts completely. How quickly the chocolate melts will depend on how fine you have chopped it. Big chunks will not melt easily and the cream will not remain warm enough.
  • Bring the ganache to room temperature.

Decoration-

  • Cut the cooled cake horizontally into two halves.
  • Place the bottom half on a serving dish, cut side up.
  • Spread a little filling and place the other half on top, bottom side down.
  • Cover the sides and top of the cake. It doesn't have to be smooth.
  • Sprinkle the almond flakes on top.
  • Cut into wedges and enjoy!

Notes

The ganache-

The amount of ganache that I have used was enough for a thin layer of filling and covering the sides and top of the cake. If you prefer a bit more filling, you can always increase the amount of ganache. Moreover, I have used single cream which is obviously lighter than its double counterpart.
Keyword almond cake, cake, cake recipe, chocolate cake, chocolate desserts, chocolate sponge, dessert, ganache, sponge