Passover Mocha Matzo Cake Recipe

Passover food is never a favorite, but I've found that the following cake recipe is a hit among my in-laws and is gone by the end of the first night. As long as I bring this, I'm always invited back...

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours

Recipe Ingredients

Cake

·       1 cup sliced almonds

·       2⁄3 cup (4 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

·       1 1⁄2 cups sugar

·       1⁄2 cup matzo cake meal

·       9 large eggs, yolks and whites separated into large bowls, whites at room temperature

·       1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon

·       1⁄8 tsp ground cloves 1⁄8 tsp salt

·       2 Tbsp instant coffee granules, dissolved in 1⁄4 cup boiling water, cooled

·       1⁄3 cup oil

Glaze & Decoration

·       1⁄2 cup (3 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

·       1 Tbsp oil

·       1 pt strawberries, rinsed and patted dry

Recipe Preparation

1. To start, separate egg yolks from their whites and leave out on the counter. You will need the whites at room temperature before whipping them, so it's best to get them separated first thing.

2.Heat oven to 350°F. You’ll need a rimmed baking sheet and a 10 x 4 1⁄2-in. tube pan with a removable tube insert.
3. Cake: Spread almonds on baking sheet. Bake 5 to 6 minutes until lightly toasted, then cool.
4. Meanwhile, pulse 2⁄3 cup chocolate chips in food processor until finely ground. Scrape into a medium bowl.
5. Pulse almonds, 1⁄4 cup sugar and the cake meal in food processor until almonds are finely ground. Add to chocolate; stir to blend.

6. Beat egg whites with mixer on high speed until soft peaks form (see picture below) when beaters are lifted. Gradually beat in 1⁄4 cup sugar and continue beating just until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted. Set aside.

7. Beat yolks, remaining 1 cup sugar, spices, salt, the coffee and oil just to blend. Fold in 1⁄4 of the whites, then the nut mixture. Fold in remaining whites; pour into ungreased tube pan. (I wholeheartedly disagree with this. If the pan is ungreased, the cake will never come out. It doesn't affect the integrity of the cake or its shape to grease the pan.)

8. Bake 55 minutes, or until top looks dry and cake springs back when gently touched. Immediately invert the pan onto a wire rack. Cool completely, upside down.

9. To unmold: Gently run a knife around edge of pan and inner tube. Holding tube, lift out cake. Run a knife between bottom of insert and cake; invert and remove insert.

10. Glaze and decorate up to 1 hour before serving: Melt chocolate as package directs, but with the oil added. Stir together until well combined. Cool chocolate for 4 minutes. Drizzle most over cake; dip berries in remaining glaze and place on cake.

* Recipe courtesy of Woman's Day.