Sweet and Spicy Chocolate Cake

Name: Sweet and Spicy Chocolate Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 12 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for coating pan; 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process); 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 2 pinches table salt; 1 cup chopped dried apricot; 1 cup boiling water; 5 ounces almond paste (by weight); 3/4 cup white sugar; 4 eggs; 2/3 cup whole milk; 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped; 2/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger; 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted; powdered sugar, for dusting

Submitted by DrGaellon

"This is a complex cake, loaded with subtle flavors; it's much more an adult cake than something for the kiddies. Also, it tastes much better after aging for several days, so let it rest, tightly wrapped, in your refrigerator for 3 to 4 days before serving. Adapted from a recipe by Syd at allrecipes.com."

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Ready In:: 1hr 30mins
Ingredients:: 14
Serves:: 12

ingredients

1 ¹⁄₃ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for coating pan
¹⁄₃ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking powder
2 pinches table salt
1 cup chopped dried apricot
1 cup boiling water
5 ounces almond paste (by weight)
³⁄₄ cup white sugar
4 eggs
²⁄₃ cup whole milk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
²⁄₃ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
³⁄₄ cup unsalted butter, melted
powdered sugar, for dusting

directions

Preheat oven to 350°F Grease and flour a 9x5x3" loaf pan or a 9" bundt pan. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
Soak chopped apricots in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, and pat dry with paper towels.
In a large mixing bowl, mix almond paste and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture looks sandy. Beat in eggs one at a time; beat for 2 minutes after each addition. Continue beating for about 10 minutes after the last egg is added; mixture should look thick and creamy.
Mix in milk, and then flour mixture. Mix only to combine the dry with the wet ingredients. Do not overbeat. Fold in apricots, chocolate, crystallized ginger, and melted butter. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour, until done. Cool for 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan, and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate 3-4 days for best flavor. Bring to room temperature then warm in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes, or microwave briefly before serving. Dust top with powdered sugar after warming.

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

DrGaellon

New Rochelle, 0

I'm a 48 y/o gay Jewish man in the suburbs immediately north of New York City. I'm a general internist, practicing and teaching at a medical college north of NYC. I also earned a Masters in Public Health degree in 2013. After a Walt Disney World trip in Dec 2006 where I had to rent an electric scooter because I couldn't manage the walking, I decided to have gastric bypass surgery, which was done Feb 28, 2007. I lost 160 lbs (though I've gained back about 60 of that since). I can't eat as much as I used to, so I want every bite to be extra good!

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