Chocolate Almond Cake

Now I know why Betty Crocker became famous for her cake mixes. 'Just add water' sounds like a great alternative to 'I think I'll hide in the the kitchen for half the day so I can have this cake for supper'...until of course you sit down and take that first bite...

Cake
2 1/2 cups ground almonds
1/2 cup butter
180g chocolate
1 cup sugar
5 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp salt

Glaze

250g chocolate
1/2 cup butter
5 tbsp water

Fresh berries
Shaved chocolate

1. Line the base of a round 9” (24cm) springform pan with parchment paper.
2. Toast almonds at 350 F (180°C) until pale golden, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring about halfway through baking time.
3. Melt butter, chocolate and sugar in a double boiler. Cool to lukewarm.
4. Whisk egg yolks and add to chocolate.
5. Add almonds.
6. Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form.
7. Add to chocolate 1/3 at a time.  Don’t over mix.
8. Bake at 350 F (180°C) for 35 minutes. Keep the cake in the pan as it cools.
9. For the glaze, melt chocolate, butter and water in a double boiler. Let it cool to lukewarm
10. Remove the cake from the pan and put it on whatever you plan on serving the cake in. Pour the glaze over the cake, letting it run over the sides.
11. Decorate with fresh berries and shaved chocolate - or get creative and do something different. Recipes are made to be altered!

Notes

• The darker the chocolate, the richer the end result. Go dark! 
• Don't have a double boiler? Me neither. Just put water in a large pot and put a smaller pot on top. Whatever you do, don't attempt to melt chocolate in the microwave. Disaster awaits those who do...
• I read somewhere you should never mix water with chocolate because the chocolate will clump and never melt. To the person who made that statement, you don't know everything.