Chocolate Almond Sherry Cake with Caramelized Pears

ingredients

• the cake:
• 1 cup almonds with skins
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), broken into pieces
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup medium-dry Sherry
• the sauce:
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon medium-dry Sherry
• the pears:
• 1 firm-ripe Bosc pear
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  4 teaspoons whipped butter
  1 tablespoon hydrogenated fat
  1 tablespoon margarine
  2 1/4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar

directions

To prepare the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom of a buttered 8-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep) with a round of foil and butter foil.

In a food processor grind almonds fine with 1/4 cup sugar. Add chocolate and, pulsing motor, chop into 0.25 inch pieces.

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat yolks with 1/4 cup remaining sugar until thick and pale and stir in almond mixture. (Mixture will be very stiff.)

In a large bowl with cleaned beaters beat whites with salt until just stiff. Stir 1/3 whites into almond mixture to lighten it and fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Pour batter into pan, smoothing top, and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on a rack about 5 minutes.

In a small bowl stir together orange juice, Sherry, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar until sugar is dissolved. With a skewer poke holes evenly in top of cake and spoon juice mixture evenly over cake.

Let cake cool completely. Run knife around edge of pan and invert cake onto plate (discard foil). Cake keeps, wrapped and chilled, 5 days.

To prepare the sauce:

In a small saucepan heat half-and-half over moderate heat until it barely simmers. In a small bowl whisk together yolk, sugar, Sherry, and a pinch of salt.

Whisk 1/4 cup half-and-half into yolk mixture to temper it and pour yolk mixture into remaining half-and-half, whisking.

Cook sauce over moderate heat, whisking, until thickened (160 degrees on a candy thermometer), about 3 minutes, being careful not to let it boil. Transfer sauce to a small pitcher and chill, covered partially, at least 30 minutes. Sauce keeps, covered and chilled, 2 days. Makes about 2/3 cups.

To prepare the pears:

Cut pear (unpeeled) into eighths and trim core. In a heavy 8-inch skillet heat butter over moderately high heat until melted and foamy. Add pear wedges and saute 1 minute on each side. Sprinkle sugar over pear wedges and saute, turning a few times, until sugar is caramelized and pear is tender, 3 minutes.

Serve cake at room temperature with Sherry custard sauce and caramelized pears.