Chocolate Almond Cake

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Grease the bottoms and sides of 2 9x1-1/2-inch round pans. Line the pans with wax paper, and grease the wax paper. Dust with flour or potato starch, then invert the pans and tap to shake out excess. Place the chocolate on the top of a double boiler, cover, and set over simmering water until melted. Let cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter or margarine at medium speed, adding the sugar gradually until the mixture is pale and bubbles appear, approximately 10 minutes. While still beating, add 1 egg yolk at a time, beating well after each addition. Lower the speed and beat in the cooled chocolate and orange juice. With a large rubber spatula, mix in the cocoa powder, cognac, flour or potato starch, lemon rind, orange rind, vanilla extract, and almonds. In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites at high speed, until stiff. Fold half of the whites into the batter with a rubber spatula. Repeat with another quarter of the whites, then reverse the process, pouring the batter over the whites. Gradually fold the two batters together, making a motion like a figure eight, until all the whites have disappeared. Divide batter equally between the two pans, andsmooth the tops. Bake both cakes on the center rack of the oven, not touching, for 50 minutes. Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes on wire racks, then invert the cakes onto the racks, peel off the wax paper, and cool completely. Refrigerate.

To serve: Sprinkle with cocoa powder orconfectioners' sugar and slide the cakes onto a serving platter.

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