This cake is of Jewish origin and made  as a Passover dessert. This week it was made to celebrate the birthday of one of the team members. It is delicious with a walnut base and an almond meringue top and a bonus is that it is gluten free.

The recipe came from the SBS sponsored magazine Feast.

Ingredients for cake

100 g good quality dark cooking chocolate, chopped and melted

300 g (1 cup) castor sugar

150g walnuts, finely ground

150g almond meal

3 eggs at room temperature, separated

1 lemon, juiced

1. Preheat oven to 150°C (less for a fan forced oven). Brush a springform round 22 cm cake pan with melted butter and line the base and sides with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg yolks and 150g sugar until thick and pale.
3. Into this mixture, fold the walnuts and melted chocolate until well combined. Spread into the cake pan and smooth the top.
4. In a clean dry bowl, beat the eggwhites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 150g sugar and whisk until stiff and glossy.
5. Fold in the almond meal and lemon juice, then spread the mixture over the chocolate base.
6. Bake the cake for 1 hour or until dry to touch. Turn off heat and allow cake to cool completely in the oven with the door held slightly ajar.
7. Remove cake tin and place on a serving plate.

 

Tips

I used large sized eggs

I baked the cake for 1 hour 15 minutes

I covered the top of the cake with sifted cocoa powder.