Chocolate almond cake (gluten free)

This one's from my friend Rachael Tomkins, a regular Queen of Puddings reader. She had a winning discovery of this gluten-free chocolate cake, which uses almonds instead of flour. It went down a treat with her sister-in -aw (who is coeliac). There were no complaints from the rest of the family either apparently! It was, according to her "really easy and super yummy!!!" 

So I had to try it didn't I? And she also suggested it might be nice warm with ice cream - well what are friends for but to act on your every whim? That is my professional obligation, here at Queen of Puddings. Nothing goes on here unless it's been tried and loved first. So warm with ice cream it was. And I agree wholeheartedly. Super yummy. My two-year-old (nut hating child) is currently devouring it beside me! It also fills the house with a chocolatey fug for the whole day so you get to waft around feeling like a true domestic goddess, despite the sink stacked with washing up!

I am still on the look out for a dairy, egg and wheat-free cake for Andra - I have a great  vegan cake recipe, but it has wheat flour. Any suggestions dear readers?

So here we have it... without further delay - Chocolate Almond cake!

10inch springform tin, base lined with baking parchment and greased.
Preheat oven to  180C 

200g plain chocolate (min 70% cocoa solids)
200g butter
200g ground almonds
200g caster sugar
5 eggs

Melt butter and chocolate together in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. Then mix in almonds.

Mix 4 egg yolks and 1 whole egg, and sugar together. Add to the slightly cooled chocolate mix

Whisk the 4 remaining egg whites until stiff, then gently fold into chocolate mix.

Bake for 40 minutes. After the first 20 mins you may need to cover the top with foil to prevent it burning. Keep a careful eye, (and nose!) on it, as it catches quite easily.


Cool for 5 mins in the tin before releasing the catch!