Filled with a luscious almond-flavored butter cream and cloaked in dark chocolate, this German almond-potato torte is ideal for Thanksgiving harvest celebrations or any time a special occasion calls for a very special cake.
This luxurious cake has the best texture (and is easier on the cook) if you prepare and bake the cake layers the day before you plan to assemble it.
Find instructions on how to make the optional Marzipan potato decorations here.
Ingredients
- CAKE
- 1 large baking potato, about 8 ounces, unpeeled
- Butter for greasing cake pans
- 1½ cups (4 ounces) almond meal
- 3 tablespoons sorghum flour or brown rice flour
- 2 tablespoons potato starch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (5½ ounces) sugar
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon amaretto (almond liqueur) or brandy
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- GLAZES
- 5 tablespoons (2½ ounces) apricot jam
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 ounces 60% to 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped and melted
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ¾ stick (3 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon liquid egg white product, such as ReddiEgg or Egg Beaters
- Few drops almond extract
- 1½ cups (5 ounces) confectioners’ sugar, plus extra if needed
- Few drops lemon juice
- Decoration
- Marzipan Potatoes
- Pine sprigs or other greenery, optional
Directions
Heat the oven to 400° F. Bake the potato until really soft, about 50 minutes. Cut in half, scoop out the pulp, and press through a potato ricer or coarse sieve to make about 6 ounces. Let cool.
Reduce the oven heat to 350° F. Butter the sides of two 8-inch diameter cake pans, and line with baking parchment.
Combine the almond meal, sorghum flour, potato starch and baking powder, and set aside.
Beat the egg whites until they start to stiffen. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and beat until soft peaks form from a raised beater.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter with the remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, amaretto and almond extract. Stir in the riced potato and almond meal mixture. Stir in one quarter of the beaten egg whites, to loosen the batter, and fold in the rest. Divide between the cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cakes are golden and bounce back to light finger pressure. Let cool completely in the pans. Loosen the edges with a knife tip. Unmold onto cake racks. Gently peel off the parchment, and let cool completely. If making ahead, store overnight at room temperature, lightly covered.
To make the apricot glaze: Combine the apricot jam and lemon juice in a small pan and stir over low heat until the jam melts. Let cool slightly. Transfer to a fine-meshed sieve and pour half the glaze over the flat underside of each cake, spreading it out to cover the surface. Let stand until it sets, about 1 hour.
To make the filling: Beat the butter until creamy. Beat in the Egg Beaters and almond extract. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar little by little to make a spreadable mixture, adding lemon juice to taste. (Add more confectioners’ sugar if needed.)
Place one of the cakes, jam side up, on top of an upturned 8-inch cake pan covered with foil. Spread evenly with the butter cream, to the edges. Top with the second cake, also jam side up.
To make the chocolate glaze: Stir the canola oil into the melted chocolate. Let cool slightly. Starting at the center, pour the chocolate glaze over the top of the cake layers in a spiral, letting it spill over the sides a bit. Using a metal spatula or a knife blade, quickly smooth the chocolate over the top surface. Either leave the random chocolate spills as they are or spread them out with a knife blade to cover the sides of the cake. Refrigerate to set the chocolate.
Loosen the bottom edge of the cake with a knife tip and carefully transfer it to a flat platter, supporting it from underneath with a wide metal spatula or the loose base from a tart pan. Group a few marzipan potatoes on top of the cake, and place more on the platter around the sides, along with pine sprigs if used.
Nutrition Analysis: 430 cal, 24 g fat, 80 mg chol, 110 mg sodium, 49 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 7 g protein.
Recipes © copyright 2013 by Jacqueline Mallorca.
The author of more than a dozen cookbooks, Jackie Mallorca’s latest titles include The Wheat-Free Cook: Gluten-Free Recipes for Everyone and Gluten-Free Italian.
