Dark Chocolate Almond Shortcake

Normally people bake Strawberry Shortcakes. Due to my fridge has run out of strawberries, I modified the frosting and it became dark chocolate almond shortcake.

This is a birthday cake for my late mother...

Dark Chocolate Almond Shortcake
*makes a 6” x 2.5” round removable bottom cake pan

Shortcake is a sweet cake or biscuit (in the American sense: that is, a crumbly bread that has been leavened with baking powder or baking soda).
Shortcake is typically made with flour, sugar, baking powder or soda, salt, butter, milk or cream, and sometimes eggs. The dry ingredients are blended, and then the butter is cut in until the mixture resembles cornmeal. The liquid ingredients are then mixed in just until moistened, resulting in a shortened dough. The dough is then dropped in spoonfuls onto a baking sheet, rolled and cut like baking powder biscuits, or poured into a cake pan, depending on how wet the dough is and the baker's preferences. Then it is baked at a relatively high temperature until set.

Ingredients:
Sponge cake
2 large eggs
60g caster sugar
60g low protein flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
20g melted unsalted butter

Syrup
10ml hot water
1/2 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream
150g whipping cream
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Garnish
Dark chocolate powder (for decorating on top)
1/2 cup of chopped almond (half sprinkled in the whipped cream, half for decorating on top)

Method:
Sponge Cake

1. Add eggs in a mixing bowl, use a hand whisk, lightly mix well the eggs. 
2. Then add in caster sugar, and continue to lightly mix well with the eggs.
3. Continue to stir until caster sugar dissolved.
4. Use an electric mixer to continue whisking the mixture until turn pale to white. 
5. Sift in flour, separate into 3 stages, cut through the mixture with a wire whisk after each addition.
6. Pour the melted butter (cooled) over the batter and fold in using a spatula. 
7. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan, towards the end, pour batter to one side of the pan (to minimize forming a dome but mine still formed a slight dome...).
8. Lift the tin and drop it gently a few times onto the table to eliminate air bubbles.
9. Original recipe called for baking the cake at pre-heated oven at 170degC for 25 mins to 30 mins (place at middle rack). I use Philips AirFryer and baked at 170degC for 15 mins.

Syrup

1. Dissolved caster sugar with hot water, add vanilla extract and mix well. 
2. Set aside to cool down.

Cream

1. Add sugar, whipping cream and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. 
2. Place the bowl over another bowl that is filled with ice water, whisk the whipping cream till soft peak. 
3. Store in the fridge before decorating.

Decorating

1. Once cake is done, cool it upside down on a wire rack. 
2. After cooled, slice it into half.
3. Brush some sugar syrup on the first layer, then spread a layer cream on top, sprinkle chopped almonds.
4. Brush another layer with sugar syrup, then place it on top of the first layer, spread the remaining cream, then sift the dark chocolate powder on top.
5. Sprinkle chopped almonds on top of the dark chocolate powder.
6. Chill the cake in fridge for hours before serve.

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