Chocolate Almond Layer Cake

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups Bread flour (Increased slightly for modern baking)
• 3 teaspoons Baking powder
• 0.5 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 2 ounces Semi-sweet chocolate (Modernized from 'squares')
• 0.5 cup Powdered sugar
• 0.75 cup Blanched and slivered almonds (Modernized from 'shredded')
• 0.5 cup Unsalted butter, softened
• 1.5 cups Granulated sugar
• 1 Large egg
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 recipe White Mountain Cream Frosting (See recipe below)
• 0.5 cup Pecan nut meat
• 0.5 cup English walnut meat
• 0.5 cup Dried figs
• 0.5 cup Pitted dates
• 1 Grated rind of 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon Orange juice
• 1 ounce Unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 0.25 cup Powdered sugar (For rolling dominoes)

Instructions

1. 1Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
2. 2In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
3. 3Beat in the egg until well combined.
4. 4In a separate bowl, whisk together the bread flour and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Stir in the vanilla extract.
5. 5In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Gradually add the remaining milk, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly.
6. 6Gently fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the cake batter until just combined.
7. 7Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. 8Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
9. 9In the top of a double boiler, combine 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup water, and 2 egg whites. Beat constantly with a rotary beater until the frosting forms stiff peaks (about 7-10 minutes). Remove from heat and beat in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Let cool slightly.
10. 10Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with White Mountain Cream frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle with blanched and slivered almonds.
11. 11Mix nut meats, figs, and dates, and force through a meat chopper, or chop finely. Add remaining ingredients (grated orange rind, orange juice, melted unsweetened chocolate), toss on a board sprinkled with powdered sugar, and roll to one-third inch in thickness. Cut in domino shapes, spread thinly with melted unsweetened chocolate, and decorate with small pieces blanched almonds to imitate dominoes.