To make the crème anglaise preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and toast until nicely browned, stirring twice, about 10 minutes; watch carefully to prevent burning. Place in a saucepan with the milk and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 15 minutes.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale yellow. Bring the milk mixture back to a simmer. Whisking constantly, add the milk to the yolk mixture. Return the sauce to the pan, place over low heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; do not let it simmer. Strain through a fine sieve. Let cool. Stir in the vanilla and refrigerate until cold.

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a 10-inch springform pan. Place the chocolate, brown sugar, and butter in a metal bowl over a pan of barely simmering water until melted. Mix well. Stir in the egg yolks and vanilla. Stir in the ground almonds, flour, and salt.

Whip the egg whites until firm but not dry. Stir 1/3 of the whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining whites. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out only slightly wet, about 30 minutes. Let cool.

To serve, spoon a pool of sauce in the center of each plate and top with a slice of cake.