- Cake
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 cup cake flour (see Ingredient note)
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup 1% milk
- Almond Cream
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1 tablespoon amaretto
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray with flour. Alternatively, spray the pan with regular cooking spray, dust with flour and tap out the excess.
- Melt chocolate in the microwave on Medium in 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst to ensure even melting, until completely melted. (Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water, stirring constantly.) Set aside.
- Whisk cake flour, whole-wheat flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Beat egg whites in a clean medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a slow, steady stream. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Beat the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil in a large bowl on medium speed until combined. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, then melted chocolate and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until combined.
- Add 1/2 cup milk to the egg-yolk mixture, beating on low speed, then add half the flour mixture. Beat in the remaining 1/2 cup milk, then the remaining flour mixture just until combined. Fold in the whites with a spatula, using long, even strokes. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly to the edges.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.
- To prepare almond cream: Beat cream and confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is the consistency of sour cream, about 1 minute. Add sour cream, amaretto (or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract), vanilla and cinnamon; beat to combine. Serve the cake with the almond cream.