Safta’s Bon Vivant Cake
It's a sentimental menu this year, where everything is reminiscent of home. This one is my Safta’s Pesach cake, and although she may not be here with us anymore, I'm happy that my kitchen will always smell of fragrant nuts and chocolate before the holiday.
Ingredients
8 eggs, separated
11 tablespoons sugar, divided
11 ounces (about 3 cups) walnuts, ground in food processor
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
8 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate
8 ounces (2 sticks) margarine
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Whip eggs whites until soft peaks form. Add 5 ½ tablespoons sugar and continue beating until stiff. Fold in ground walnuts gently with a spatula.
Pour mixture into a greased 8" springform pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
While cake is baking, mix egg yolks with remaining 5 ½ tablespoons sugar and vanilla sugar.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler, then let cool. Add cooled melted chocolate and margarine to egg yolk mixture and mix to combine.
When cake is ready, let cool slightly. Pour chocolate mixture over cake and spread until smooth. Bake for another 15 minutes.