I couldn’t wait to try the Passover Chocolate Almond Cake from Joan Nathan’s new children’s cookbook, “A Sweet Year: Jewish Celebrations and Festive Recipes for Kids and Their Families.” When I bake desserts for company, I often can’t eat them myself because of various food allergies, so I jumped at the chance to try this gluten-free cake made with almond flour. It has the dense texture and rich flavor of a chocolate torte.
Nathan writes that the cake comes from Chef Mike Solomonov of Zahav Restaurant in Philadelphia: “What I like best about it is that it reminds me of French cakes that my friends’ mothers in France used to make for birthdays, which the Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten gave celebrity status to when he slightly undercooked it and renamed the dessert ‘molten chocolate cake.’”
After setting the oven at 375° with the wire rack in the middle, I gathered all my equipment and ingredients, so everything was at hand.
The recipe says to line the bottom of a 9-inch round or square cake pan with parchment paper. But I used a springform pan and oiled it well, which worked fine.
Melting the chocolate in a glass measuring cup made the first step incredibly easy. Throughout the book, Nathan provides options for using nondairy oils, but I opted for butter, mixing it with a hand mixer along with the sugar and salt, until it became pale and fluffy. Next, I added the chocolate, followed by the eggs. I learned long ago that the best way to incorporate eggs into a recipe is to crack one into a small bowl or measuring cup, pierce the yolk with a fork, and mix it gently before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. This method makes it easier to remove any tiny bits of shell if they accidentally get into the egg, compared to if they had fallen directly into the batter.
The mixture was thick, so I scraped it with the spatula rather than pouring it into the pan. The recipe suggests baking it for about 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. In hindsight, I could have removed it after 20 minutes, but of course, it depends on your oven.
Although it’s essential to let the cake cool for 10 minutes, I recommend serving it while it is still warm. The texture was moist and fabulous, and the taste was intensely chocolatey. If there are any leftovers, I suggest heating it briefly in the microwave to recreate that initial experience.
I didn’t have any kids around, but I’ve included Nathan’s recommendations, which sound like a fun intergenerational venture.
Passover Chocolate Almond Cake
Makes one 9-inch cake.
2 scant cups chopped dark chocolate (11 oz., at least 60 percent cacao)
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter or vegan spread, softened, or coconut oil
¼ cup sugar
big pinch of salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup almond flour
Adult
Preheat oven to 375°, with wire rack in the middle. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round or square cake pan with parchment paper, or use a well-oiled springform pan. Melt chocolate in the microwave and let cool.
Child with Adult
Mix the butter (vegan spread; coconut oil), sugar, and salt in a bowl with a stand or hand mixer. Beat at medium to high speed until pale and fluffy, for about 2 minutes. Add melted chocolate, and mix just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and mix for another few seconds. Add the eggs one at a time with a low-speed mixer, beating until each one is incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add the almond flour and mix on low until it’s just incorporated, about 10 seconds.
Adult
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Child
Smooth the top with a spatula.
Adult with Child
Place the pan in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Optional
Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, and/or decorate with fresh berries.
