Filipjanska torta (Sv. Filip i Jakov)

Ingredients:

• 10 larger eggs
• ½ kg ground almonds (mendula)
• a cup of sugar (sugar) = about 15 dag
• grated rind of 2 local lemons
• a glass (bičerin) of rum

Preparation: 

In a deep bowl, beat (or mix with a mixer) egg yolks and sugar. Add grated lemon rind and a dash of rum and mix everything. Add the ground almonds and slowly add the egg whites previously beaten into a stiff mass. Pour the prepared mixture into a round cake mold (or a wide, lower cake pan) and bake in the oven for about one hour, first on a high heat of about 180 degrees, and after half an hour reduce it to approximately 130 degrees.

Glaze: 

Cover the baked cake with chocolate glaze. We can prepare the glaze from dark cocoa powder, mixed with half a cup of sugar, a little milk and 10 dag of butter over low heat. It is simpler to melt cooking chocolate and add a little sugar, milk and butter to it. Arrange whole puffed and peeled almonds in a circle on the edges of the cake.

Note:

Given that it is a relatively expensive dessert due to the abundance of almonds, the Filipino cake was prepared on festive occasions. It was traditionally baked in a wide pan.