Chocolate Almond Cake with Chocolate Orange Buttercream

This simple, elegant, one-layer French chocolate almond cake is adapted from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume 1.

I made Julia's cake many years ago for my husband's birthday, not long after I'd received the two-volume set as a gift from my mom. The cake somehow manages to be both dense and light, which I know is a confusing way to describe it, but that is actually the truth.

Last month, as I thought about what kind of cake I wanted to make for my husband's birthday this year, Julia's cake popped into my mind.

After tinkering with the recipe to create a simple one layer cake that was rich, tender, deeply chocolate, and simple to make, I spread on some chocolate orange buttercream, snapped some photos, and presented my husband with a slice of birthday cake, no candles or singing, in the middle of the afternoon.

He did not complain.

The cake uses considerably less flour than one might expect - just ½ cup of cake flour - so its texture is a little bit similar to a flourless chocolate cake. While Julia's recipe calls for the baker to pulverize almonds with some sugar, I found that toasted almond flour was a simpler option and added a touch of almond flavor while keeping a softer, more tender texture.

I opted for brown sugar instead of granulated white sugar because brown sugar adds flavor and makes the cake even more moist and fudgy. I also bumped up the amount of almond extract and chocolate and added an extra egg yolk.

The result is a chocolate and almond cake that is rich, deeply chocolate, and full of flavor without even approaching the line of overly sweet. The recipe includes no chemical leaveners (like baking soda or baking powder), relying instead on beaten egg whites to create some rise in the batter while the cake bakes.

In contrast to fluffy butter cakes like Devil's Food Cake or Chocolate Brownie Loaf Cake, this cake is thin and dense, much closer to a chocolate almond torte than what we Americans usually think of as "cake".

Regardless of how you want to describe it, call it delicious because this chocolate almond cake is absolutely delightful.

Ingredients Needed to Prepare This Recipe

• Almond flour. Preferably an almond flour that's made from blanched almonds. I used Bob's Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour because I wanted the smoothest possible texture for my cake. But, you can use whatever brand and texture you prefer.
• Semi-sweet chocolate. I used Lindt 70% cocoa chocolate bars, which technically qualify as bittersweet chocolate bars, because my husband and I both like super dark chocolate. If you prefer chocolate that's sweeter and less bitter, choose chocolate bars that are 55 - 60% cocoa.
• Rum or coffee. This recipe contains just 2 tablespoons of either rum or brewed coffee, both of which emphasize and compliment the flavor of chocolate. The small amount will not make the cake taste like rum or coffee. Rather, it gives the cake an even deeper, slightly more complex chocolate flavor.
• Butter. I used salted butter because I love salted chocolate. Feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
• Almond extract. A touch of almond extract compliments this cake's chocolate flavor and brings out the nuttiness of the toasted almond flour.
• Light or dark brown sugar. The most important thing to know about using brown sugar in a recipe is how to measure it: Press the brown sugar into your measuring cup to really pack it down, then use a knife to level off the top.
• 4 large egg yolks. Egg yolks add richness to this cake and also allow the batter to hold the high percentage of chocolate in this recipe.
• 3 large egg whites. All the leavening for this cake comes from beaten egg whites instead of chemical leaveners like baking powder and baking soda.
• 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar is added to the beaten egg whites to help stabilize them. That little bit of sugar helps keep the air trapped in the egg whites from escaping too easily when folded into the cake batter.
• Cake flour. Cake flour gives this chocolate almond cake a more tender texture than if you used all-purpose flour. If you can't find cake flour, remove 1 tablespoon from ½ cup of all-purpose flour and replace it with cornstarch.
• Salt.

*See recipe card for precise quantities.

Frosting Options for This Cake

My favorite way to top this cake is with a thick layer of Chocolate Orange Buttercream and a sprinkle of orange zest and chopped roasted and salted almonds.

But if chocolate and orange aren't your thing, there are several other delicious options:

• This cake is delicious with just a simple dusting of powdered sugar.
• For that classic chocolate-raspberry combination, ice this cake with a layer of raspberry cream cheese frosting.
• If you want to add some creamy vanilla flavor to this cake, top it with creamy Mascarpone Frosting.
• Create a double chocolate cake with this ultra creamy Milk Chocolate Buttercream.
• If you want to cover this cake in chocolate without the orange, this classic chocolate buttercream is hard to beat.
• A drizzle of vanilla icing adds a sweet finish to the rich chocolate flavor of this cake.
• White Chocolate Ganache Buttercream is so rich and velvety it tastes like the inside of a white chocolate truffle.
• The subtle tang of Cream Cheese Buttercream is a delicious compliment to the rich chocolate flavor of this cake.

Step by Step Photos and Instructions

Step #1: Toast the almond flour.

Toast the almond flour in a skillet set over medium heat. The goal is to cook the flour until about 50% of it is a dark golden brown and the rest of it is light golden brown. If you let it cook much longer, some of it will start to burn.

Then remove from the heat, scrape into a bowl, and set it aside to cool.

Step #2: Melt the chocolate along with the rum or coffee in a double boiler.

Heat the chocolate gently, stirring constantly, just until it's about 75% melted. Remove it from the heat and continue to stir until completely melted. Set aside. 

What's a double boiler? A double boiler is simply a small pan set over a larger pan filled with simmering water. Scroll down for more information about how to create a double boiler.

Step #3: Beat the butter, sugar and egg yolks.

Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and brown sugar until the mixture is lightened in color and looks aerated. Beat in the almond extract then add the egg yolks, beating to fully incorporate each yolk before adding another.

Step #4: Beat the egg whites.

Add the egg whites to a separate bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until soft peaks form.

Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and continue to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Soft peaks = when you lift the beater from the egg whites, it will create a soft peak that collapses and falls over onto itself.

Stiff peaks = when you lift the beater from the egg whites it will form a peach that holds its shape (like in the photo above).

Step #5: Add the melted chocolate.

Use a spoon or rubber spatula to stir the melted chocolate into the cake batter.

Step #6: Add the egg whites and dry ingredients in alternating additions.

Add about ⅓ of the beaten egg whites to the batter and very gently fold them in until they are about 75% incorporated.

Stir the toasted almond flour, cake flour, and salt together in a bowl and add about ⅓ of it to the cake batter.

Gently fold the flour mixture into the batter until about 75% incorporated.

Repeat with the remaining egg whites and flour mixture.

Step #7: Bake!

Spread the batter into an 8-inch round cake pan that's been greased and floured, and the bottom lined with parchment paper.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 25 minutes.

How do you know when this cake is done baking?

For the best texture - soft, tender, and fudgy - it's best to slightly undertake this cake. Here's how to know when it's done:

• The cake is done when it has visibly puffed and about 3-inches of the outside edge of the cake is set and just barely beginning to pull away from the side of the pan.
• If you insert a toothpick in the outside edge of the cake and pull it out, there will not be any evidence of raw batter on the toothpick.
• BUT, the center of the cake will still move slightly if the pan is gently tapped or shaken. 

Step #8: Let the cake cool completely in the pan. Then, run a knife or a spatula around the edges of the pan and gently flip the cake out of the pan onto a plate or serving platter.

The top of the cake will be very soft. To give you an idea of how soft, in the photo below, I turned the cake out of the pan onto a wire rack then turned the cake onto a cake board so it was right side up. In just the few seconds the cake was resting on the wire rack, the rack pressed a checkerboard pattern into the top of the cake.

How to Store This Cake

Before covering the cake in any kind of buttercream or icing you can store this cake at room temperature, well wrapped, for up to 2 days and it will remain fudgy and fresh tasting.

Once frosted, it's best to store the cake in the refrigerator, where it will also keep well for 2 days.

You can freeze this cake, unfrosted, for up to 3 months. Make sure the cake is well wrapped to prevent freezer burn. I usually wrap it twice with plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil.

You can allow the cake to thaw by placing it in the refrigerator overnight or by simply setting it out at room temperature for 3 or 4 hours.

The cake can be served at room temperature or cold, but I think the flavor and texture are best when eaten at room temperature.

Useful Equipment to Bake this Cake

Using an electric mixer to beat the batter for this cake is essential to incorporate enough air into the batter. Without trapping air in butter and sugar, this moist almond cake would be overly dense and the texture would be tough rather than tender.

Use a stand mixer or a hand-held mixer. Both work equally well.

One of my favorite kitchen appliances is this Braun multi-functional hand beater.

I mostly use it for recipes like this - when I’ve used the bowl of my stand mixer to mix cake batter but also need to whisk egg whites. Rather than having to transfer the cake batter to a separate bowl and wash everything out so I can use the mixer to beat egg whites, I simply crack the egg whites into a small bowl and pull out my hand beater. 

My favorite cake pan to use for this cake, or any 8-inch round cake, is this Wilton 8x3-inch cake pan.

The pan is deep enough to handle tall layers, which I love. Even though this cake is not tall, the pan's depth helps it bake more evenly.

yers, which I love. Even though this cake is not tall, the pan's depth helps it bake more evenly.