Chocolate-marble Sour-cream Cake W/cinnamon-almond Toppin

* Buy almonds that are already chopped and toasted. Or buy chopped
blanched almonds, spread them on a cookie sheet, and bake 10 to 15
mins at 350 F., until medium brown.

Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 10 X 4-inch tube pan with removable
bottom. Melt the chocolate in a microwave or in a small, heavy
saucepan over low heat, stirring often. Remove from the heat. Put the
flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Stir to mix
well. In a large bowl beat the butter and 1 cup sugar with an
electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one
at a time, beating after each. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Beat in
the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low. Add about 1/3 of the flour
mixture and, not waiting until it is completely mixed in, about 1/3
of the sour cream. Continue until all the flour and sour cream have
been added, mixing only until blended. Spread about half the batter
in the prepared pan. Drop melted chocolate in spoonfuls over the
batter and spread gently with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with about
1/2 the nuts. Drop the remaining batter on top of the nuts and spread
gently. Mix the remaining nuts with the cinnamon and 2 Tbs granulated
sugar. Sprinkle over the batter. To create a marbled or swirled
effect, hold a table knife upright in the batter, almost touching the
bottom of the pan. Make zigzag ‘cuts’ through the batter from side to
side all the way around the pan. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in
the center comes out clean, about 1 hr. Place the pan on a wire rack
to cool for 20 mins. Cut around the edge of the cake and tube with a
knife to loosen. Remove the pan sides. Let the cake cool completely
before removing from the pan bottom. Serve with a few hours or wrap
airtight and keep at room temperature overnight, or freeze. YIELD: 10
to 12 portions.