BEST Chocolate Recipe with
BEST Chocolate Frosting Recipe!

The BEST Chocolate Recipe
"Schokoladentorte"

Cake
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tsp. almond flavoring
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

  Frosting

• 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp. rum
• 2 - 3 tbsp. warm water

  Chocolate Glaze

• 4 oz. semisweet chocolate
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. whipping cream
• chocolate sprinkles

Instructions:

Cake
• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Grease and flour 10 inch spring-form pan.
• Beat egg yolks and warm water together in large bowl until foamy.
• Add almond flavoring and sugar. Beat until thick.
• In a bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a sieve or sifter, sift over the egg/sugar mixture, gently folding in.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into batter.
• Pour batter into greased and floured pan, smoothing top.
• Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
• Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.
• Cut cake into 3 layers.

  Frosting

• Beat butter until fluffy.
• Mix cocoa and icing sugar and gradually add to butter alternately with egg and rum.
• Beat until well blended.
• Remove 16 teaspoons of frosting and place individually on a waxed-paper lined dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Add 2 tbsp. water to remaining frosting and beat well. Frosting should be of spreading consistency. If not, add a further 1 tbsp. water.

  Glaze

• Heat chocolate, butter, and cream over low heat until smooth, stirring continually. Cool.

  Finish Cake

• Place 1 cake layer on serving plate.
• Spread with half of frosting.
• Put middle cake layer on top and spread with remaining frosting.
• Put top cake layer on top, cut side down. Spread Glaze over cake top and sides.
• Press sprinkles around sides of cake and top edges of cake.
• Roll refrigerated frosting into balls with wet hands. Roll in sprinkles and distribute around top edge of cake.

Hints:

• In the cake pictured above, I only made 12 "balls" - slightly larger than normal. I was having some "big cake eaters" for dinner! Also, I used sliced almonds for some of the "balls" and for the outside edges.

• Use vanilla instead of almond flavoring although I think you'll agree that the almond flavoring makes this the best chocolate recipe - adding a taste of marzipan!