Queen of the Nile Chocolate Cake

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with vegetable oil spray or butter. Pulse the almonds and teff flour in a food processor until finely ground. Or simply mix the almond flour with the teff. Set aside. Put the chocolate in a large stainless steel bowl, set it in a wide skillet of barely simmering water, and stir occasionally until nearly melted. Remove the bowl from the water bath and stir the chocolate until completely melted and smooth. Let cool to lukewarm (if necessary). Add the almond-teff mixture, sugar, butter chunks, and salt to the chocolate and beat with the handheld mixer on medium speed until the ingredients are well blended and the mixture thickens and lightens slightly in color. Beat in the eggs, one by one. Continue beating on high speed for a minute or two, or until the batter is fluffy and lighter in color; it should resemble fluffy chocolate frosting (see Note). Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the torte comes out with a few moist crumbs. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Slide a thin knife or a small metal spatula around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake and allow the thin crust on top to sink (slightly) as the cake cools. Let cool completely. Remove the pan sides and transfer the cake to a serving platter. The torte can be kept at room temperature, covered or under a cake dome, for up to 3 days, or frozen, well wrapped, for up to 3 months; bring to room temperature before serving. Note: The trick to getting a fluffy aerated batter is to be sure that the chocolate is not too warm and the butter not too soft, and the eggs must be cold!