This cake and custard sauce can also be made ahead. Both should come out of the refrigerator, to take the chill off, when the first course is served. The accompanying caramelized pears, which require not more than a few minutes to sauté, make a welcome addition to the cool custard sauce and moist cake.
Ingredients
For the cake
For the sauce
For the pears
Preparation
To prepare the cake
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of a buttered 8-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep) with a round of foil and butter foil.
Step 2
In a food processor grind almonds fine with 1/4 cup sugar. Add chocolate and, pulsing motor, chop into 1/4-inch pieces.
Step 3
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat yolks with 1/4 cup remaining sugar until thick and pale and stir in almond mixture. (Mixture will be very stiff.)
Step 4
In a large bowl with cleaned beaters beat whites with salt until just stiff. Stir one third whites into almond mixture to lighten it and fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
Step 5
Pour batter into pan, smoothing top, and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. let cake cool in pan on a rack about 5 minutes.
Step 6
In a small bowl stir together orange juice, Sherry, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar until sugar is dissolved. With a skewer poke holes evenly in top of cake and spoon juice mixture evenly over cake.
Step 7
Let cake cool completely. Run knife around edge of pan and invert cake onto plate (discard foil). Cake keeps, wrapped and chilled, 5 days.
To prepare the sauce
Step 8
In a small saucepan heat half-and-half over moderate heat until it barely simmers. In a small bowl whisk together yolk, sugar, Sherry, and a pinch of salt.
Step 9
Whisk 1/4 cup half-and-half into yolk mixture to temper it and pour yolk mixture into remaining half-and-half, whisking.
Step 10
Cook sauce over moderate heat, whisking, until thickened (160°F. on a candy thermometer), about 3 minutes, being careful not to let it boil. Transfer sauce to a small pitcher and chill, covered partially, at least 30 minutes. Sauce keeps, covered and chilled, 2 days. Makes about 2/3 cups.
To prepare the pears
Step 11
Cut pear (unpeeled) into eights and trim core. In a heavy 8-inch skillet heat butter over moderately high heat until melted and foamy. Add pear wedges and sauté 1 minute on each side. Sprinkle sugar over pear wedges and sauté, turning a few times, until sugar is caramelized and pear is tender, 2 to 4 minutes.
Step 12
Serve cake at room temperature with Sherry custard sauce and caramelized pears.
