Recipes

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 325.  Grease and line a 10 inch cake pan.  Cream the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy.  Add almond paste a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add the cocoa powder and mix just until combined.  Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition.  Pour half of the batter into the cake pan.  Top with raspberry jam.  Spread to within 1/2 inch from the edge.  Pour the rest of the batter over the jam.  Bake at 325 until slightly firm and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out with moist crumbs.  Cool.  Remove cake from the pan.  Glaze with chocolate ganache and press toasted almonds into the side.  Refrigerate the cake to let the ganache cool.   Serve cake with fresh raspberries.  Store the cake in the refrigerator when not being served.

For the ganache :

Heat cream to simmering in a medium saucepan.  Lower heat and add the chocolate. Let stand until softened (about 2 minutes).  Whisk until smooth.