During the Christmas holidays I was away from my realm and felt I needed to create something in the kitchen to help make things feel a little normal. This recipe is mainly from a book I got for Christmas with some minor revisions (Bake and Freeze Desserts, Elinor Klivans). The biggest challenge I encountered making this cake was not having any of my tools, as I was using the kitchen of my in-laws that is not even close to being equipped for making challenging dishes. Anyway the taste was amazing, and the look was so-so. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

Dark Rum Syrup

• 2 TBL granulated sugar
• 2 TBL dark rum
• 4 TBL water

Chocolate Glaze

• 4 TBL unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 TBL light corn syrup
• 8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 12 whole toasted blanched almonds

Chocolate Almond Ganache

• 6 TBL (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup ground toasted almonds

The Cake

• 3 oz unsweetened chocolate, in 1 oz pieces
• 1 2/3 cups cake flour (AP will do)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 pnd (1 stick) soft unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 lrg eggs
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup water

Making the cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 175 Fahrenheit, then butter the bottom and sides of your 10 inch round baking pan, now cut a circle of parchment paper the size of the pans base and place in the bottom pressing to adhere. Finally butter the parchment paper surface.
2. Place the chocolate in the oven for about 8 minutes until melted.
3. As soon as the chocolate is melted, remove it from the oven and stir (be careful its going to be hot). Set the chocolate aside to cool slightly.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
5. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
6. In a separate bowl cream together the butter, sugar, then beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes (should be semi-fluffy)
7. Decrease the speed and mix in the chocolate just until mixed. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl while mixing to incorporate any stray ingredients.
8. Increase the speed to medium and add the eggs. Beat for 2 minutes, now decrease the speed to low and add in the vanilla extract, and sour cream. then mix until the sour cream is incorporated.
9. Add the flour mixture and water, a little at a time back and forth, while mixing. Scrape the sides while mixing to prevent any lumping of flour to the sides of the bowl.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes until a clean poke is achieved with a toothpick. Set on a cooling rack for 10 minutes then carefully remove from pan to a cooling rack and allow to rest while you prepare the glaze, and ganache.

Making the Ganache, Glaze, and Syrup:

1. Put the water and sugar in a small saucepan and whisk over low heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the rum. Set aside to cool.
2. In a clean saucepan heat the butter, cream, and corn syrup just until hot, about 170F. Remove from heat, add the chocolate and gently stir until the chocolate melts. Dip half of each almond in the glaze and place on a wax paper glaze size up. Set aside to cool and firm up. And set the remaining glaze aside to cool.
3. Finally heat the butter and cream in a medium sauce pan until it reaches about 150f. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in the chocolate and vanilla, continue stirring until the mixture is melted and smooth. Now transfer the ganache to a pyrex measuring cup then press Saran wrap flush with the surface to seal. Refrigerate until the ganache is cold to the touch, about 30-60 minutes. Remove from the fridge, whisk gently then stir in the ground almonds.

Assembling the cake:

1. Using a good long serrated knife cut the cake into 2 layers (Once the cake is cut, I like to use the back of a cookie sheet to slide the top half gently onto until your ready to relayer it). Transfer the bottom layer to your serving dish or cake round, then using a pastry brush gently brush the surface of the layer with the syrup, then spread a 1/4 inch layer of the ganache evenly over the top of the layer.
2. Carefully top the bottom layer with the top layer (this is the fun part, but you can do it). Brush the top layer with the remaining syrup.
3. Finally pour about 3/4′s of the glaze over the top of the cake, and using a flexible spatula carefully spread it out over the top and sides. Use the remaining glaze to touch up any dry spots.
4. Place the chocolate coated walnuts about every 1/2 inch along the upper ring of the cake and chill for 30-40 minutes until the glaze firms up.