Chocolate Almond Torte

I have made this simple cake for my husband birthday. He's not much of a cake person so, I thought why not try a cake without flour instead. The result was good but still tad too sweet for him. In fact I have reduced the sugar by 50 grams. Could it be the bittersweet chocolate that causes the sweetness of the torte? Btw, this recipe is adapted from Joy Of Baking.

Chocolate Almond Torte

Ingredients

7 oz (200 g) Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped

11 Tbsp (150 g) Unsalted Butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 Cup (150 g) Granulated White Sugar, divided (I used 100 g)

4 Large Eggs, separated

1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Cup (100 g) finely Ground Almonds

1/4 tsp Cream Of Tartar

Method

Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C) and line an 8 inch (20 cm) springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Separate the cold eggs, placing the egg yolks in one bowl and the egg whites in another. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until they reach room temperature.

Melt the chopped chocolate and butter in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Once melted, remove from heat.

Meanwhile place the egg yolks and 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the yolks and sugar until pale and thick (about 2 to 3 minutes). Beat in the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla extract. Fold in the ground almonds.

In a clean bowl, place the egg whites and whisk until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue whisking until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar and whisk until stiff peak forms. Fold about 1/4 of the whites into the chocolate batter to lighten it. Quickly fold in the rest of the egg whites and mix only until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake has a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. The cake will rise during baking but falls during cooling, leaving a crisp and cracked crust. Once cool, run a spatula around the inside of the pan before releasing the sides. If not serving immediately, cover and place in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature. Dust with powered (icing or confectioners) sugar.