Parrozzo Abruzzese — Semolina and Almond Chocolate-Glazed Cake

Ingredients

• For the cake
• 6 eggs, separated
• 200 g caster sugar
• 200 g fine semolina, semolino — not semola rimacinata, not coarse semolina
• 200 g blanched almonds, ground fine
• 100 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 lemon, zest only, finely grated
• 1 pinch fine salt
• For the glaze
• 200 g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped
• 30 g unsalted butter
• For the mould
• 1 hemispherical dome mould or deep bowl, interior lined with buttered paper

Method

1. 1
   Heat the oven to 170 °C, then butter the dome mould and line its interior with buttered paper so the cake releases cleanly from its curved walls without tearing. Beat the six egg yolks with 200 g caster sugar until the mixture is pale, greatly increased in volume, and falls from the whisk in a thick, slow ribbon — this long beating dissolves the sugar fully and builds the base that carries the ground almonds and semolina without sinking.
2. 2
   Add the 200 g fine semolina, 200 g finely ground blanched almonds, 100 g melted and cooled butter, the almond extract, the finely grated lemon zest, and the pinch of salt, ensuring the butter is cooled before it goes in so it does not slacken the batter unevenly or begin to cook the yolks. Stir steadily until fully combined; the batter will be dense and uniform.
3. 3
   In a separate, scrupulously clean bowl — any trace of grease will prevent the whites from holding their volume — beat the six egg whites to stiff, glossy peaks that hold their shape without drooping. Add one-third of the whites to the batter and stir firmly to loosen it so the remaining whites meet a batter close to their own weight rather than a wall of resistance. Add the remaining whites in two additions, folding with a large spatula in slow, deliberate arcs, cutting down through the centre and lifting from the bottom, until no white streaks remain and the batter falls in a light, airy mass; this is where the dish lives or dies, because deflated whites at this moment produce a crumb that is dense and close rather than tender and open.
4. 4
   Pour the batter into the prepared dome mould and bake at 170 °C for 35 to 40 minutes. The cake is done when it is risen and deeply golden across the surface and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and dry.
5. 5
   Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely in the mould before turning out, so the dome holds its shape and does not collapse under its own weight while still fragile and hot. The dome must be firm and cold to the touch before glazing; any residual warmth will thin the chocolate and prevent it from setting to a thick, even coat.
6. 6
   Melt 200 g chopped dark chocolate with 30 g butter over a bain-marie, stirring until the glaze is smooth, glossy, and flows slowly from the spoon in a thick ribbon, then remove from the heat so it cools slightly and thickens enough to cling to the dome rather than run straight off. Set the cooled dome on a wire rack over a tray, pour the glaze over it in a steady stream working for complete, even coverage, and allow it to set at room temperature until firm; the glaze is correct when it coats the dome entirely with no thin or bare patches and its surface is glossy and unbroken.