CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE with Almond Flour

Almond Flour for Passover Chocolate Sponge Cake

Passover starts next Monday night (March 25) this year (lunar calendar), so time to plan your chocolate Passover dishes. Sponge Cake is a staple for Passover, and a Passover Chocolate Sponge Cake goes great with morning tea or coffee, and certainly replaces cardboard tasting matzoh. So here's one more chocolate option for the Passover holiday--or any time! And, it's Gluten-free! You can also dress this cake up with sliced fresh strawberries and whipped cream or cut the cake in half and fill with a chocolate buttercream.

ALMOND FLOUR:  
Almond flour is readily available where I live, but you can grind your own. Use a hand grinder (a clean coffee grinder) or blender. Don't use a food processor or you might end up making oil. If you use a blender, do this in small increments, about 1/2 cup at a time. Almond and chocolate go very well together. In a pinch? You can always use matzoh cake meal (for Passover), but it won't have the same nutty flavor, but you might like it. Try using different types of chocolate to achieve the flavor you like best. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE

Ingredients
7 ounces dark chocolate (65-75% cacao), chopped
10 eggs, separated
3/4 cup white sugar
2 cups ground almonds

Directions
1. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler or saucepan over another saucepan of simmering water. Set aside.
2. Beat egg yolks until thick and lemony looking. Gradually beat in sugar. Blend in chocolate and ground almonds.
3. In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into chocolate batter.
4. Spoon batter into an ungreased 10 inch Bundt pan or tall springform pan with hole in the middle.
5. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven, invert pan, and cool about 40 minutes before removing from pan.