HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
In many ways, our world is a small one. Sometimes it can be glamorous, and sometimes it can be a very laid back one. The familiar routine suits me quite well. The sameness of it all is a very warm feeling. There’s a security in knowing that the familiarity is around, and that gives me a lot of contentment.
This year, among all, I’m thankful for my beloved familiarity around me. The regularity is a luxury I am most happy to enjoy.
I truly feel blessed. CHEERS to a Healthy, Happy, and Contented Year!! Virtual Hugs to all of my dear blogger and non-blogger friends.
This is a cake which is so moist and chocolatey that you will be satisfied with just a tiny slice. It is very decadent. This is a cake I’ve adapted from Maida Heatters Cake. It looks quite simple, and it is. There are just a few steps to follow. It’s one of Maida Heatter’s best recipes. The only thing I’ve added is figs to the recipe. I’ve skipped the ganache, as I felt the cake didn’t need it. However, you could always go ahead and make some ganache for it. The way that my boys love to eat it is with some almond ice cream. The cold ice cream is a perfect compliment to the warm chocolate cake.
- 1-1/2 cups slivered almonds
- 8-10 dried figs
- 6 ounces good quality semi sweet chocolate
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1-1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
- 6 large eggs (separated)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your 7 inch buttered spring pan with parchment paper.
- Lightly toast the slivered almonds and cool before grinding it with sugar. Using a blade attachment of your food processor, grind the almonds along with sugar. Pause and pulse every few seconds. Get it to a powder consistency. It should not form a ball or become a pasty texture. Set Aside.
- Re-hydrate the figs for 10 minutes. After grinding the almonds, take that out and grind the figs to a paste. Keep aside.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave or on a double boiler. Make sure not to burn the chocolate in the microwave.
- Separate the eggs yolks and the whites. Set the yolks aside.
- In a very clean bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peak. Set aside.
- Take a large bowl, beat the butter well. Add one yolk at a time and beat well until everything is incorporated. Now switch to spatula and mix in the fig paste well. Then add the almond mixture and mix. Add the melted semi sweet chocolate and mix well. Add lemond juice, zest, salt and mix very well.
- Stir a large spoonful of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it a bit. Then, in three additions, fold in the remaining whites. Do not fold thoroughly until the last addition and do not handle more than necessary.
- Pour in the baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and lower the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for another 40-45 minutes.
- It will be ready when the cake doesn't jiggle. Let the cake sit on a cooling rack at least for an hour. If you use a spring pan, it is easy to lift it off. Run a knife along the side before taking the cake out.
- Enjoy!!
I used a 7 inch cake pan and it took longer to bake. If you are using a 9 inch, it will take a shorter time.
This cake looks really moist and super. I love it’s flourless.
Happy New Year!
Angie
This fig and almond chocolate cake looks incredible.. and beautifully captured too! You could definitely cut me a slice right now.
Holy cow that looks incredible! So rich and chocolaty 🙂
Thanks so much and have a beautiful and healthy NEW YEAR!!
Thanks June.
Wow… This cake is a show stopper! Perfect to celebrate the beginning of a new year with new hopes and dreams. Happy and healthy 2015 to you and your family, Asha! xoxo
Thanks my dear friend.
xoxo
Happy happy New Year to you and yours, Asha! I wish I had a slice of this – I adore flourless chocolate cakes – and the figs sound like such a wonderful idea!
Have a fabulous 2015 Sashi. I send you big warm hugs from here. xoxo
oh! I’m so happy that I found your blog! Your recipe looks amazing! The cake is soooo rich and so chocolaty <3 Have a Happy New Year!
Have a fabulous year!! You sure made me happy.<3
Happy New Year Asha – love the new blog design and as always love your fab pics/recipes!
Oh wow, Archana. So nice to hear from you Archana. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Thanks a lot for stopping by.
I’m so glad I found your blog with so many recipes I’d love to try! This flour less cake looks gorgeous and delicious! Pinned!
Thanks Mira!!
YUM!! This looks amazing!! Gotta love chocolate!! Happy 2015!! …also I LOVE your blog!! It’s so pretty and cute!! Can’t wait to see more!! 🙂
Happy New Year to you and your family! Hope 2015 brings you much happiness. I am all for routine and regularity as well. Here’s to more of that this year! : ) And you are most definitely my kind of lady – starting off the year with a chocolate cake is the best way to do it! I’m glad you thought of it.
Happy New Year, Asha to you and your lovely family! I totally understand your desire and love of familiarity. You are right, it does feel safe and secure and a comfort to know things don’t have to change.
I’ve always been one who after a while gets a bit restless with the routine. I like to shake it up 🙂 but then there are times I just love being at home with just the kids and hubby and knowing that I don’t have to change anything if I don’t want. It’s good to have a choice 🙂
If I had a choice, I’d want a piece of that cake, and I’d take a scoop of that almond ice cream too 🙂
Nazneen
Happy New year to you and your family Asha!
wow, what a stunning cake! Pinning! 🙂 Wish you a very Happy New Year!
Happy new year chica! I love the fig infusion into this chocolate cake. Such a great mix of flavors!
What a beautiful cake, I can’t say no to the combo of fig, almond and chocolate!
Oh girl, you know how weak I get when it comes to flourless cake. This looks so decadent! Happy New Year, love 🙂
I totally do and your cake was heaven.
Happy New Year, my sweet friend! Well, here you are! I have finally found your blog via Bloglovin’. I lost your older feed somehow, I guess because you changed over to a dot com from ‘blogspot’. Well, I was your first follower at Bloglovin’ back then, and now again! But, I am not getting all of your posts in my feed. Your latest recipe showing is from Dec. 14, your hot chocolate. Also, your photos are not showing in the feed. 🙁 Definitely check into this. 🙂 It could just be that you have to ‘claim’ your site at Bloglovin’. (Don’t forget to do that.) Meanwhile, I am so glad you are a fellow Maida fan! I have every cookbook she has ever written in my home library. Reading each one is such a treat! Thank you for sharing this lovely chocolate cake with us, Ash. Wishing you and your family all the very best in the New Year! xoxo
Thank you so much Stacy. You have been a big strength and supporter throughout. Thanks for the feedback. I really need to get on to Bloglovin. I’ve missed so many small details when we changed to dotcom.
Will definitely message and bother you if I need some help:).
Oh yes, love Maida. Hope you had a great holiday sweety.
This cake looks glorious! Love it!
Missed all your posts!! For some reason it snot showing up in my blog feed. I will check it out.
This cake looks awesome even without the ganache. Loved the last shot with tulips.
Hi Shibi, I wonder why it’s not showing up. Hope it’s fixed. But, thanks for stopping by the blog my dear.
Thank you for this great recipe, I tried it today and it is delicious!!! ????????????????????
THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!! Means a lot that you wrote. Glad you liked it.