Rich Chocolate Cake With Creme Anglaise

Preparation

1. Step 1

   To make the creme anglaise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and toast until nicely browned, stirring twice, about 10 minutes; watch carefully to prevent burning. Place in a saucepan with the milk and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 15 minutes.

2. Step 2

   Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale yellow. Bring the milk mixture back to a simmer. Whisking constantly, add the milk to the yolk mixture. Return sauce to pan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; do not let it simmer. Strain through a fine sieve. Stir in the vanilla. Refrigerate until cold.

3. Step 3

   To make the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch springform pan. Place chocolate, brown sugar and butter in a metal bowl over a pan of barely simmering water until melted. Mix well. Stir in egg yolks and vanilla, then almonds, flour and salt.

4. Step 4

   Whip egg whites until firm but not dry. Stir ⅓ of the whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining whites. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out only slightly wet, about 30 minutes. Cool.

5. Step 5

   To serve, spoon sauce onto each plate and top with a slice of cake.