Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Almond Brittle

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Almond Brittle
Categories: Cakes, Chocolate
Yield: 10 servings

8 oz Bittersweet or semisweet
Chocolate; chopped
1/4 c Sliced almonds; toasted
Cake:
12 oz Bittersweet or semisweet
Chocolate; chopped
3/4 c Unsalted butter; room temp
2/3 c Sugar
1 tb Cornstarch
2 ts Instant espresso powder
1/8 ts Salt
6 lg Eggs; separated

For Brittle: Line 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil. Melt
chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water,
stirring until smooth. Pour chocolate into prepared pan;
spread evenly. Sprinkle almonds over chocolate.
Refrigerate until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes. Break
brittle into irregular shapes.
For Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter
9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2-3/4-inch-high sides.
Line bottom with parchment. Wrap ouside of pan with foil.
Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering
water, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool.
Using elecric mixer, beat butter and 1/3 cup sugar in large
bowl to blend. Mix in cornstarch, espresso powder and salt.
Beat in egg yolds, 1 at a time. Mix in melted chocolate.
Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large
bowl with 1/3 cup sugar until stiff but not dry. Fold
whites into chocolate mixture in 2 additions. Transfer to
prepared pan. Bake cake until set and tester inserted into
center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 50
minutes. Cool cake completely on rack (cake may fall and
appear cracked). Refrigerate until well chilled, about 4
hours.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake cake uncovered just
until warm, about 20 minutes. Cut around cake to loosen.
Release pan sides. Cut warm cake into wedges. Garnish
with pieces of brittle and serve.

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