Danish Almond Ring Cake

adapted from an old Danish recipe by Sisi Damner

serves 8 to 10

10 eggs, separated
2 cups sugar
2 cups ground almonds
8 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
4 tablespoons sherry or Grand Marnier
sliced strawberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a large 11 or 12-inch ring mold generously. Beat the egg whites, adding the sugar a half cup at a time, until stiff. Add the ground almonds, stirring gently by hand with a rubber spatula. Pour into the ring mold and bake for 40 minutes. The cake will appear slightly crusty when done. It will rise up and then flatten down as it cools. Cool it on a rack. Loosen the sides of the cake with a knife and turn it onto a serving plate.

Melt semi-sweet chocolate and beat in the egg yolks along with the powdered sugar (the original recipe calls for more powdered sugar, but I have cut back on the amount of sugar used) and the sherry or Grand Marnier. Cover the cake with this chocolate mixture.

Fill the center of the cake with sliced strawberries, and pass additional sliced strawberries in a bowl.

This is a very dramatic dessert. It must have evolved from the "Kransekake," which is a celebratory cake served at weddings, Christmas, anniversaries and birthdays. This recipe was given to me many years ago by a Danish woman; I have always treasured it.