We had another party at the office today (yes, we are social folks and have a lot of parties). Noting that we had quite a few ice cream toppings left over from our ice cream sundae party a few weeks ago, and the happy coincidence that today is Bastille Day, I decided to make profiteroles (I copped out and used store bought ice cream). Just to make sure there was enough food -- and more or less going along with the quasi-French theme -- I also made a flourless Chocolate-Almond Souffle Torte.
This is the first time I've made this cake, and I am definitely going to put it into my regular rotation. The cake puffed up while it baked and sunk in the center as it cooled. I was quite concerned it might not have been baked through. The recipe instructs you to bake it for about 35 minutes, when a tester comes out "with moist batter attached." Obviously if a tester comes out with moist batter (as opposed to moist crumbs) attached, it's not cooked through. Now while a cake will certainly keep baking once you take it out of the oven, I had no idea how I was going to tell the difference between moist batter indicating it would finish cooking outside of the oven, and moist batter indicating that the cake would be raw and runny inside. Fortunately, I guessed right. I took it out after 39 minutes, when the top was puffed and cracked, the color was dark, and the cake's aroma was quite strong in my apartment (the intensity of the aroma wafting from your oven is also a good indicator of baked goods doneness).
I chilled it overnight before cutting, and it cut beautifully without any problems (using the cut-rinse-wipe routine). I let it come to temperature about 30 minutes before serving. Super-fudgy, extremely almond-y, and texturally interesting with bits of ground almond. It was decadent and a little goes a long way... I cut it into 16 slices and I think that this cake could easily serve 24.
This is the first time I've made this cake, and I am definitely going to put it into my regular rotation. The cake puffed up while it baked and sunk in the center as it cooled. I was quite concerned it might not have been baked through. The recipe instructs you to bake it for about 35 minutes, when a tester comes out "with moist batter attached." Obviously if a tester comes out with moist batter (as opposed to moist crumbs) attached, it's not cooked through. Now while a cake will certainly keep baking once you take it out of the oven, I had no idea how I was going to tell the difference between moist batter indicating it would finish cooking outside of the oven, and moist batter indicating that the cake would be raw and runny inside. Fortunately, I guessed right. I took it out after 39 minutes, when the top was puffed and cracked, the color was dark, and the cake's aroma was quite strong in my apartment (the intensity of the aroma wafting from your oven is also a good indicator of baked goods doneness).I chilled it overnight before cutting, and it cut beautifully without any problems (using the cut-rinse-wipe routine). I let it come to temperature about 30 minutes before serving. Super-fudgy, extremely almond-y, and texturally interesting with bits of ground almond. It was decadent and a little goes a long way... I cut it into 16 slices and I think that this cake could easily serve 24.
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