CHOCOLATE ALMOND PASSOVER CAKE

1 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted*
1 tablespoon plus 1 cup sugar, divided use
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa
5 eggs, separated
1/8 teaspoon salt
TO DECORATE:
apple slices
additional sliced almonds
honey

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease bottom a 10-inch tube pan.

Place toasted almonds and 1 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of food processor. Process to a fine grind and set aside.

Melt the butter; stir in the cocoa and cool.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl beat the egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar until pale yellow in color. Add cocoa mixture and salt; mix well. Add ground almonds; set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add about 1/4 of the egg whites to chocolate mixture and stir to blend. Gradually fold in remaining egg whites. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Unmold and remove bottom. Cool completely.

When ready to serve, decorate with apple slices and almonds and drizzle with honey.

*TO TOAST ALMONDS:
Heat oven to 350 degrees . Place almonds in single layer on shallow baking pan. Bake 7 or 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Cool completely.

Servings: 12
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/13/00