The Farmer's Daughter's Cake

2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. whipping cream (not whipped)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 8 x 8 cake pan, dust all over lightly with fine dry bread crumbs. Lightly tap and shake out any extra crumbs.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  In medium bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer.  Add in vanilla, and almond extract.  Stir in sugar, mix until combined.  Beat in cream and lastly, add the sifted dry ingredients, and beat on low speed only until mixture is smooth.  Pour into prepared pan. Smooth top if necessary.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until cake just begins to pull away from sides of pan and toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes, then cut around the sides carefully to release, and let stand for 5 minutes more.  Invert cake onto wire rack, and let cake stand upside down to cool.  When cool, transfer to cake plate or cutting board.  

Old Fashioned Chocolate Icing
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 c. milk
1 1/3 c. granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp, plus 1 tsp unsalted butter
1 t. vanilla extract

Place chocolate, milk and sugar in small, heavy saucepan over medium high heat.  Stir until chocolate is melted and sugar is dissolved.  Do NOT boil.  Remove from heat and let stand for one minute.  

In small bowl, stir yolks lightly, just to mix. Gradually stir in about half of the chocolate mixture, then add yolk mixture to remaining warm chocolate mixture.  Cook over low heat, stirring, for one minute.  Remove from heat.  Pour mixture into medium bowl, and stir in the butter and vanilla.  Let stand until cool.   Once cool, beat icing at high speed for 10 to 15 minutes (Use lower speed if icing is splashing to much).  Beat until mixture is smooth, shiny, and paler in color.  

Slowly pour half of icing onto cake.  Let stand for a minute.  Slowly, pour half of the remaining icing onto middle of cake, push with a spatula into directions necessary. Wait another minute.  Pour remaining icing onto top of cake.  Push it to the edges just so you get a little bit of icing to run over the sides.  Let cake set for a few hours for icing to set.