Photo by David Tisue
White Chocolate and Almond Gâteau.

By David Tisue

The Surveyor

This cake showstopper is perfect for holiday gatherings. It is rich, decadent, and delicious, with lots of white chocolate and almonds. Gâteau, cake in French, though not all cakes are a gâteau; it usually refers to a rich, buttery, fancy cake. The recipe has no actual flour but uses cookie crumbs and ground almonds. It bakes in a sheet pan instead of your usual round cake pans. The key to making this cake is to have everything at room temperature and ready to go. The cake only takes about 15 minutes to get in the oven. It has no actual flour, so if you use gluten-free cookies, it can be great for those with issues. This cake does take some planning, but it is a spectacular cake worthy of the holidays.
For the cake batter
8 oz white chocolate, finely chopped.
1 cup vanilla wafer cookie crumbs
1 cup ground almonds
½ cup sifted powdered sugar
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick) at room temperature
1 cup sugar, divided.
8 eggs, separated.
¼ cup crème de cocoa, or amaretto
For the white chocolate buttercream
8 oz white chocolate (54 to 64 percent cacao), finely chopped.
1 cup whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
1 ¼cups (2¼ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces at room temperature.
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted for finishing.
To make the batter
Preheat the oven to 375°
Lightly grease a 15×10 baking sheet. (1/2 sheet pan or cookie sheet with 1-inch sides) Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and spray that with cooking spray. Lightly flour the pan.
Stir together the cookie crumbs, the ground almonds, and the powdered sugar, and set aside.
Melt the white chocolate over a pan of simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave, be careful white chocolate can scorch easily if overheated. Set aside.
In the bowl of a mixer or using a hand mixer, beat the butter and ¾ cup of the sugar until very light and the sugar has dissolved into the butter.
Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well each time.
Continue to beat until the mixture becomes very thick, about three to four minutes.
Beat in the melted white chocolate and the crème de cacao.
By hand, using a spatula, fold in the cookie crumbs mixture. Transfer the mixture to a different bowl and wash the mixer bowl thoroughly.
In the clean bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy, add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
Fold 1/3 of the cookie crumb mixture into the egg whites, folding until just combined.
Repeat with the remaining cookie crumb mixture, folding just until you see no steaks of white left.
Immediately spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the cake is golden brown.
While the cake is baking, place a kitchen towel on a clean work surface and dust it with powdered sugar.
When the cake has finished baking, let it cool for a couple of minutes and then invert it onto the prepared towel, peel off the parchment paper, and let it cool completely.
Make the buttercream
Place the chocolate in the clean bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
In a small saucepan, combine the milk and ¼ cup of the sugar.
Bring to a simmer over medium, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat and set aside.
In a medium bowl, add flour, salt, and remaining ¼ cup sugar and whisk until combined.
Add the yolks to the bowl and whisk slowly to combine (it will seem very thick at first but will loosen up), then whisk more vigorously until the mixture is pale, thick and smooth.
Whisking the yolk mixture constantly, slowly stream in about half of the warm milk mixture, then whisk the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan. Set the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly and scraping against the sides, until thick and bubbling, 1 to 3 minutes.
Immediately scrape the pudding over the chocolate in the stand mixer bowl.
Let the pudding mixture sit for a few minutes so the heat gently melts the chocolate, then mix on low speed until the chocolate is completely melted and the pudding is smooth and glossy. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the outside of the bowl is cool to the touch, 10 to 15 minutes.
With the mixer running, add the butter a couple of pieces at a time, waiting for each addition to incorporate into the pudding before adding the next until you have a smooth, glossy, spreadable frosting.
Stop the mixer, thoroughly scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the vanilla. Beat once more just until evenly mixed.
When ready to assemble
Using a serrated knife, cut the cooled cake into three strips around 5×10 inches each. If the edges are uneven carefully trim off the edges.
Frost and layer the strips, leaving enough for the sides and top. Press the sliced almonds into the sides to add drama.
Serve at room temperature; it will keep in the fridge for a week.