This cake is simple but really good. The cake has no butter or oil in it, just cream. Perhaps it was a dairy farmer's daughter who created it! The fudge frosting is a great pour over frosting that tops it off just right. It's smaller size and tasty combination is sure to work its way into your heart.
Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease and flour an 8x8x2 pan. (I usually use the spray with the flour in it)
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a separate bowl, or your mixer, beat together the eggs, vanilla & almond extracts and sugar until combined.
Add the cream and mix until incorporated.
Stir in the dry ingredients, beating just until smooth.
Pour into prepared pan and smooth out the top.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean. (Maida warns that the top may dome, but will flatten and that is may crack and that is ok.)
Let cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a rack to cool completely.
Once cool, place upside down on a cake plate so that you have a flat surface on top.
Icing
In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, stir together milk and sugar. Add chocolate and heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted. Be sure to stir frequently as you go. Remove from heat.
In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks just enough to break them up. Gently temper with a bit of warm chocolate mixture. (I added a few Tablespoons of chocolate mixture and beat vigorously then repeat the process to temper the yolks and keep them from scrambling in the hot chocolate mixture.) Then add egg yolks to the remaining chocolate mixture, beating to combine.
Warm the chocolate mixture over low heat, whisking constantly, for one minute. (Mine stayed pretty smooth, but Maida warns that it may not and you should forge on anyway.)
Transfer chocolate mixture to the bowl of your mixer and stir in the butter and vanilla. Let stand until cool. This may take a while, but I put mine in the refrigerator for a bit to hasten the process.
Beat the icing at high speed for 10-15 minutes. It should be smooth, shiny and about the consistency of corn syrup.
Be sure to place wax paper strips under you cake as this icing can get messy if you are like me and are short on patience!
Pour about half of the icing on the cake and then step back for a minute or so. Then continue to pour the icing just a bit at a time onto the center of the cake. If you poor too quickly, all of the frosting will run down the sides. Gently coax the frosting with a spatula if it needs help going in a certain direction.
If you went slowly enough, the frosting should have stayed mostly in place. If not, just scoop the large puddles off the wax paper and place back on the center of the cake until most of the frosting is on the cake. Carefully remove wax paper strips.
Let the cake sit for a couple of hours so the icing sets.