Christmas is coming!

Photograph by Elspeth Young

by Nancy Young

4 egg whites beaten to soft peaks
10 tablespoons butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup very dark cup of cocoa or ¼ cup warm water and ½ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon almond, vanilla, rum or hazelnut flavoring
½ cup cream
½ cup milk
Pinch salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups whole wheat flour or 2 ¼ cups white flour
¾ to 1 cup chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
Extra Sugar for sprinkling
Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375° and butter or baking-spray any 7-cup or larger pan or mold. (We used a 12 x 5-inch ceramic cake pan.)  Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer, and then beat in egg yolks until mixture is light.  Beat in the flavoring, "cup of cocoa," cream and milk.  Mix the salt and baking powder into the flour and mix lightly into the batter, and add the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.  Carefully fold in the egg whites.  Spoon evenly into the prepared mold, sprinkle lightly the top with sugar and bake until cake tests clean about 45 to 55 minutes.  Remove to wire and rack and cool for 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding.  Allow unmolded cake to cool thoroughly on wire rack, and then dust with powdered sugar.  

Tags: Vol. 12 No. 1, 2011, Christmas, Recipes by Nancy Young