Servings: 16
Preheat: 325°
Source: The Savory Way – Deborah Madison
My friend Dorée and I both love almond cakes more than any other. This is her recipe for a handsome, rich cake filled with the flavor of almond. She uses almond paste both blended into the batter and broken up into pieces that are stirred in just before baking, leaving pure pockets of almond throughout the cake. Almond aficionados will want it both ways, but it’s perfectly delicious without the final addition.
This recipe is very easy to make and is also very easy to cut in half, making a smaller 1-pound cake.
Serve the almond cake with coffee, tea, or a dessert wine. Berries, peaches, and nectarines, sliced and sugared, are also delicious served alongside or with Compote (see below), with or without a spoonful of crème Anglaise. In fall and winter I like to serve this cake with the Preserved Figs with Star Anise and Bay (page 404) or Quince Compote (page 361).
Ingredients
Commercial almond paste usually comes in 8 oz cans.
You can also make your own with the recipe on page 394.
If you’re planning to use it in both ways, you’ll need a whole pound.
Makes 1 lg bundt cake, serving 12 to 16
unsalted butter and flour for the cake pan
½ lb almond paste
1¼ cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
5 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
3 cup unbleached white flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1¼ tsp salt
1½ lb additional almond paste (optional)
powdered sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a bundt pan or a 9-inch springform pan. Combine the ½ pound almond paste and the sugar in a food processor and work until well blended. Add the butter and continue to process until blended; then add the eggs, one at a time, the sour cream, and the flavorings. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl.
Sift the flour with the baking powder, soda, and salt. Add it to the batter a third at a time, gently stirring in each cupful. For the extravagant touch, break another ½ pound -or less- almond paste into pieces and fold them into the batter. Turn the batter into the baking pan and bake the cake in the middle of the oven until the cake is golden on top and springy to the touch, about 1 hour.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it stand to cool slightly; then turn it out onto a serving plate. When cool, dust it with sifted powdered sugar. This cake will keep well, wrapped tightly, for several days