Almond Roca Cake

By RossanaV

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 6 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. brown sugar, tightly packed
• 1/2 c. ground toasted almonds
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 1 c. sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 tbs. unsalted butter, melted and lightly browned
• SYRUP:
• 1/3 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. water
• Amaretto to taste (at least 2 tbs)
• 1 recipe thick chocolate glaze
• 16 to 20 oz. Almond Roca broken into small bits, some as large as 1" square whipped cream
• THICK CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
• 4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips or grated squares
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. light corn syrup
• 5 tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 to 5 tbs. confectioners sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9 inch tube or bundt pan. Place eggs, yolks, and sugars in the metal bowl of an electric mixer. Place bowl over low heat and stir the eggs with your hand until the mixture becomes warm and you can feel that the sugar crystals have dissolved. (If your mixer does not have a metal bowl, use a glass one and place it over hot water). Place bowl on machine and beat for 10 minutes at medium speed. The eggs should be very thick and form a heavy ribbon. Add the almonds, vanilla and almond extracts, and zest to the eggs, and beat briefly. By hand, fold in the flour and salt in 3 portions. Work rapidly and gently so as not to deflate the egg volume. Drizzle on the browned butter and fold it in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, place pan on a cookie sheet, and put cake in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the cake shrinks slightly from the side of the pan and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted at a central point. Let cool for 10 minutes, then unmold cake onto a rack. Let cool completely. To prepare the syrup, bring the sugar and water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Let simmer 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and cool briefly. Stir in Amaretto. Make glaze. Immediately pour it over the top of the cake. Slice the cake in half horizontally through the center and drizzle the hot syrup over the cut sides. Let cool, then spread on chocolate glaze. Reform cake and smooth it on in a rough fashion, then press the broken portions of toffee over the surface. Let the glaze cool and harden. Serve with whipped cream.

Glaze:
Prepare glaze by putting chocolate, sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan, then cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Let the mixture cook at a slow boil for 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the butter 1 tb. at a time, then add the vanilla and confectioners sugar. Stir until the glaze cools slightly and is a nice spreading consistency.