Recipe: Flourless Chocolate and Almond Layer Cake

Step 1

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325°F. Coat a 10x15-inch jellyroll pan with cooking spray. Line the entire pan with parchment paper, making sure to go up the edges; set aside.

Step 2

Place the almond flour, starch, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine; set aside. Place the butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a small bowl and mix to combine; set aside.

Step 3

Place the eggs and egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. (Alternatively, use a large bowl and electric hand mixer.) Mix on medium-high to high speed for 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and gradually mix the sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high to high and mix until very pale, shiny, and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes more. (You can't overmix this step, so let it go!)

Step 4

Add the almond flour mixture and fold it in very gently with a rubber spatula, being careful not to deflate the eggs.

Step 5

Add about 1/2 cup of the egg and almond flour mixture to the reserved butter mixture and stir well to combine. Transfer this to the remaining egg and almond flour mixture and gently fold it in with the rubber spatula. Transfer to the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.

Step 6

Bake until the cake is a pale toasty-brown, a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake has started to pull away from the sides of the pan, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan; it will deflate considerably.

Step 7

Fit a wire cooling rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake crosswise into 3 even pieces each about 5 inches wide. Remove the cake pieces from the pan and place on the cooling rack.

Step 8

Trim the sections so they are identical in width, making sure to specifically trim the cake on the edges or sides that are browned. Each final cake section should be about 3 1/2 by 12 inches; set aside.

Step 9

Place the cream cheese, almond butter, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer and large bowl.) Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 3 minutes.

Step 10

Whisk the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together in a small bowl. Add to the cream cheese mixture and beat on medium-low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until very fluffy and no streaks remain, 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 11

Using a large, offset spatula, spread about 1/4 of the filling on top of 1 layer of the cake as a crumb coat. (Some of the crumbs may stick a bit.) Spread another 1/4 of the filling evenly on top of that coating. The layer of filling should now be about 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick.

Step 12

Top with a second layer of the cake and repeat spreading the remaining filling. Top with the final layer of the cake. Refrigerate while you make the ganache.

Step 13

Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat just until starting to steam. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir briefly. Let sit for 3 minutes. Stir again until completely smooth and all the chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool until barely warm to the touch and still pourable.

Step 14

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and pour about 1/2 of the ganache over the top of the cake, making sure to cover the corners and edges well. Allow the ganache to drip down and, using an offset spatula, spread a little ganache to cover any spots on the sides that might not be fully coated. Pour the remaining ganache over the cake and allow to drip again.

Step 15

Let sit for about 2 hours if you want a firmer ganache. Garnish with almonds and chocolate curls if desired before serving.