For the ganache (optional):
⅓ cup heavy cream
1½ teaspoons light corn syrup
3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
Directions
To make the cake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and dust the interior with flour, or coat the pan with baker’s spray. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
The butter needs to be melted and then added to the batter while it’s still warm, so bring it just to a boil in a small saucepan, or do this in the microwave. You can cook the butter a little longer, until it turns golden brown, if you’d like — browned butter’s flavor is a little toastier and nuttier. Remove from the heat and keep the butter warm while you make the cake batter. (Because I do this on the stovetop, I usually leave the pan on the turned-off burner.)
Working in a large bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until thoroughly blended. Add the almond flour and whisk — if the almond flour is lumpy, use your fingers to break up the clumps. Switch to a flexible spatula and add the whites in three or four additions, stirring until the batter is smooth and flows off the spatula. Stir in the vanilla. Add the butter in three additions, folding and stirring until it is completely incorporated and you’ve got a smooth batter with a light sheen. Finally, stir in the chopped chocolate, blending well. Scrape the batter into the pan and use the spatula to smooth the top.
Bake for 37 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown, is evenly risen and pulls away from the sides of the pan when gently prodded. A tester inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and leave for 5 minutes, then run a table knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Flip the cake over onto the rack, peel away the parchment and invert the cake onto another rack. Let the cake cool to room temperature.
To make the (optional) ganache: Put the cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil (or do this in the microwave). Turn off the heat, add the chocolate and stir the mixture gently until blended, thick and shiny.
Pour the ganache over the cake and use an offset spatula or table knife to spread it across the top. I like to cover the top with the ganache and then, if some slides over the edges of the cake, I consider it a win. Scatter over the toasted almonds or arrange them in whatever fanciful pattern pleases you. You can leave the cake on the counter to let the ganache set a bit (it will never be really firm) or refrigerate it for about 15 minutes to set it.
Storing: You can keep the ganache-topped cake, loosely covered, on the counter for up to 2 days (the unglazed cake will keep for about 4 days) or refrigerate it for 3 or 4 days. If you’ve chilled the cake, I think you’ll enjoy it more if you let it warm up a bit before serving. You can also freeze the cake, plain or glazed. If it’s glazed, freeze it unwrapped until firm and then wrap it well. The cake will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month; thaw in the wrapper and, if you’d like, puff a little heat from a hair dryer over the glaze to restore its shine.
Excerpted from Dorie’s Anytime Cakes by Dorie Greenspan. Copyright 2025 by Dorie Greenspan. Used with permission by Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins. All rights reserved.
