This is adapted from a recipe I found in The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, the classic vegetarian cookbook from Mollie Katzen originally released in 1982. I found a great copy in a consignment shop recently, and I knew I needed to try something immediately. This recipe in particular caught my eye for the flavor combination which I felt looked, for lack of a better word, interesting. The apple flavor isn’t super intense, just a slight sweetness. Plain, it tastes like a simple but tasty tea or pound cake, perfect with an afternoon cup of coffee or tea. Add the whipped cream and you’ve got yourself a more elevated dessert for evening. The original recipe doesn’t say what kind of almonds, so I used skin-on to give more flavor and texture. Also, I recommend using full almonds instead of almond flour. Grinding them with the chocolate helps ensure the chocolate doesn’t melt from the heat of the blade.

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Makes one 9-inch cake, serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

Chocolate Apple Almond Torte

• 8 eggs (400 grams), separated
• ¾ cup (149 grams) granulated sugar, divided
• 1 cup (143 grams) raw almonds, skin on
• 4 ounces (113 grams) semisweet chocolate
• 1 cup (150 grams) grated tart apple (about 1 medium)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Dash of cinnamon

Amaretto Whipped Cream

• ½ cup (115 grams) cold heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon Amaretto

Instructions

Make the Torte:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9-inch spring form pan and set aside.

2. In a bowl fitted for an electric mixer or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium high until frothy. With the mixer running, slowly add ¼ cup of the sugar in a steady stream and then continue beating until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with remaining ¾ cup of the sugar until lightened and thick, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4. In a food processor, add the almonds and chocolate and blitz until finely ground, a few pulses at a time so the mixture doesn’t overheat. Mix into the egg yolk mixture.

5. Using a grater attachment on the food processor or a manual grater, grate the apple and then add to the egg yolk mixture along with the vanilla.

6. In a small bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix into the egg yolk mixture.
7. In 2 or 3 batches, fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until combined. A few white streaks are okay.
8. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan before unmolding and serving. Serving plain, dusted with confectioners’ sugar or a dollop of Amaretto whipped cream. The remaining cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Make the Whipped Cream:

9. Pour the heavy cream into a medium sized mixing bowl and whip on medium speed with a hand mixer until it begins to thicken.

10. Add the confectioners’ sugar and Amaretto and continue to whip until firm peaks. Use immediately by dolloping on torte slices cut with a serrated knife.