SERVES 12 TO 16
Be sure to use cake pans with at least 2-inch-tall sides. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
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CAKE |
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8 |
ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine |
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12 |
tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces |
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2 |
teaspoons vanilla extract |
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¼ |
teaspoon instant espresso powder |
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1¾ |
cups (6⅛ ounces) sliced almonds, toasted |
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¼ |
cup (1¼ ounces) all-purpose flour |
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½ |
teaspoon salt |
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5 |
large eggs, room temperature |
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¾ |
cup (5¼ ounces) sugar |
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FILLING |
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2½ |
ounces (½ cup) raspberries, plus 16 individual raspberries |
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¼ |
cup seedless raspberry jam |
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GLAZE |
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5 |
ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine |
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½ |
cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream |
1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans. Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Stir in vanilla and espresso powder.
2. Pulse ¾ cup almonds in food processor until coarsely chopped, 6 to 8 pulses, and set aside. Process remaining 1 cup almonds until very finely ground, about 45 seconds. Add flour and salt and continue to process until combined, about 15 seconds. Transfer almond-flour mixture to medium bowl. Process eggs until lightened in color and almost doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. With processor running, slowly add sugar and process until thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Using whisk, gently fold egg mixture into chocolate mixture until some streaks of egg remain. Sprinkle half of almond-flour mixture over chocolate mixture and gent-ly whisk until just combined. Sprinkle with remaining almond-flour mixture and gently whisk until just combined.
3. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake cakes until center is firm and toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Transfer cakes to wire rack and let cool completely in pans, about 30 minutes.
4. Cut 2 cardboard rounds to same diameter as cakes. Run thin knife around edges of cakes to loosen, then invert cakes onto cardboard rounds; discard parchment. Using wire rack, turn 1 cake right side up, then slide from rack back onto cardboard round.
5. FOR THE FILLING: Place ½ cup raspberries in medium bowl and coarsely mash with fork. Stir in raspberry jam until just combined.
6. Spread raspberry mixture onto cake layer that is right side up. Top with second cake layer, leaving it upside down. Transfer assembled cake, still on cardboard round, to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.
7. FOR THE GLAZE: Melt chocolate and cream in medium heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and gently whisk until very smooth. Pour glaze onto center of assembled cake. Using offset spatula, spread glaze evenly over top of cake, letting it drip down sides. Spread glaze along sides of cake to coat evenly.
8. Using fine-mesh strainer, sift reserved almonds to remove any fine bits. Holding bottom of cake on cardboard round with 1 hand, gently press sifted almonds onto cake sides with other hand. Arrange remaining 16 raspberries around circumference. Refrigerate cake on rack until glaze is set, at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours (if refrigerating cake for more than 1 hour, let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving). Transfer cake to serving platter and serve.