Ballymaloe Chocolate Almond Cake

Cake:
3 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Dark Chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup whole blanched almonds
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon superfine sugar, divided
3 large eggs, separated
Pinch of salt
2 1/2 tablespoon light (or dark) Jamaica rum
1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour

Chocolate Icing: (makes 3 cups)
8 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Dark Chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup light (or dark) Jamaica rum

Optional garnish:
Candied violets
Toasted slivered almonds

Make cake:
Position oven rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 325°F. Line two 8-inch round cake pans with wax paper or parchment paper. Brush bottom and sides of pans with melted butter and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Set aside. Place chocolate in a medium microwavable bowl. Heat on high for 1 minute. Let stand for 1 minute; stir until smooth. If necessary, heat for an additional 30 second at medium (50%) power until chocolate is melted. Place almonds in food processor and pulse until finely ground. With an electric mixer, beat butter and ground almonds at high speed until light and creamy (about 3 minutes). Gradually add 1/2 cup superfine sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and beat in the 3 egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.

In clean bowl, using clean dry beaters beat egg whites and salt with electric mixer at medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to high and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar and beat until stiff peaks form; do not overbeat. Using clean, dry rubber spatula, mix melted chocolate and rum into butter mixture. Stir in 1/4 of egg white mixture followed by 1/4 of sifted flour. Alternately fold in remaining egg whites and flour. Divide batter between prepared pans and form a slight depression in the center of each cake. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. Cake center should appear slightly underdone and sides should be fully cooked. Allow cakes to cool in pans for 3 minutes. Turn out gently onto a wire rack, remove paper lining and cool completely.

Make Icing:
Place chocolate in a medium microwavable bowl. Heat on high for 1 minute. Let stand for 1 minute; stir until smooth. If necessary, heat an additional 30 seconds at medium (50%) power until chocolate is melted. Cool 5 minutes. Whisk in butter, 1 tbsp. at a time. Whisk in rum. If icing liquefies, refrigerate until it starts to thicken and continue whisking.

Assemble Cake:
When cake is completely cool, fill and ice with prepared icing. Pipe any remaining icing around the top.

Decorated iced with toasted slivered almonds and candied violets, if desired.
 

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