1/4 cup light molasses
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1 cup fresh bread crumbs, finely ground
1/3 cup Dutch cocoa
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9" springform pan with parchment paper; spray lightly with cooking spray.
In small saucepan, combine molasses, corn syrup, brown sugar, diluted coffee, bourbon & vanilla extract.
Stir well & place over medium heat. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until melted & syrupy. Do not boil. Remove from heat.
In small bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat egg yolks about 2 minutes or until thick & lemon-colored. Slowly beat molasses syrup into yolks, continue beating until mixture is consistency of thick cream.
In another small bowl, stir together almonds & bread crumbs. Sift cocoa powder into crumb mixture, stir to mix well. With rubber spatula, fold cocoa mixture into yolk mixture.
Beat egg whites until frothy. Add salt & cream of tartar. Increase speed & beat until stiff peaks
form. Fold 1/3 egg whites into cocoa mixture. Gently fold in remaining whites.
Spoon batter into prepared pan.
Bake on middle rack of oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a thin skewer comes out fairly clean.
Remove from oven & let cool completely. Remove from pan, peel off paper & sift confectioner's sugar over top of cake.
