Almond Sponge Cake

Ingredients

• 6 eggs at room temperature
• A pinch of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup finely ground almonds (almond meal)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla
• Cake coating ingredients:
• 200 g white chocolate
• 3 tablespoons coconut milk
• 250 g mascarpone cheese at room temperature
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• Almond sponge cake recipe from a friend and chef on the 'Sho Tabkhyn Today' website:
• Umm Taha Al-Hamwi
• Click on Umm Taha's name to visit her page on our site and discover her wonderful recipes
• To make Raffaello balls at home, here is the link: How to make Raffaello balls

Method

1. Separate the egg whites from the yolks
2. Beat the egg whites with a whisk or electric mixer with a pinch of salt and the sugar until the volume doubles
3. In a bowl with the yolks, stir them with the vanilla, then add them to the whites and fold with a spatula or spoon from top to bottom
4. Add the almond flour (finely ground almonds) and fold from top to bottom with a spatula
5. Add the flour in three batches, taking care to fold the same way so the air in the egg whites is not lost
6. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and pour the cake batter into it
7. Place the pan in a hot oven at 170°C for about 40 to 45 minutes
8. When the cake is baked, set it aside to rest and cool
9. Prepare the white chocolate coating in the meantime: put the coconut milk over small pieces of white chocolate and melt the chocolate in a double boiler
10. In another bowl, place the mascarpone cheese and beat it briefly until smooth
11. Add the melted chocolate over the cheese and beat
12. In another bowl, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until it doubles in volume
13. Combine the cheese mixture with the whipped cream and mix, then add the grated coconut and stir well
14. When the cake cools, cut it into two equal layers or more, and sprinkle the layers lightly with a little coconut milk to give them softness
15. Fill the cake with the cream mixture you prepared, repeating until all the layers are used
16. Cover the top and sides of the cake with cream, then coat it with grated coconut
17. Decorate the almond sponge cake with crushed almonds and pieces of Raffaello
18. Place it in the fridge for at least three hours before serving
19. Almond sponge cake recipe from a friend and chef on the 'Sho Tabkhyn Today' website:
20. Umm Taha Al-Hamwi
21. Click on Umm Taha's name to visit her page on our site and discover her wonderful recipes
22. To make Raffaello balls at home, here is the link: How to make Raffaello balls