I’m not a huge fan of nuts per se. I know that nibbling on a handful of almonds for a mid afternoon snack to stave off hunger pangs is supposed to be very healthy but it doesn’t quite do it for me. Peanuts, walnuts, hazel nuts, et al? No thanks. I do, however, like almond flavored things like marzipan, frangipane, Almond Joy, and this almond cake.

I first made it many years ago and it has become a family favorite. I don’t quite remember where I got the recipe but I have a feeling it may have been from Bon Appetite magazine.

The recipe calls for 7 oz of almond paste because, I suspect, almond paste is sold in the store in a 7 oz log. It is quite expensive though and so I make my own at home. “Oh, fancy pants. Makes his own almond paste”. I can hear it now. It is not fancy at all and is super easy to do. You simply whizz some blanched almonds, egg whites and sugar in the food processor along with a dribble of almond extract, et voila! Almond paste. Fresher, better, cheaper and easier to work with than the store bought stuff.

So what’s the difference between almond paste and marzipan? Well, basically marzipan is almond paste with more sugar. Could you use marzipan in this recipe instead of almond paste? Good question. I have never tried it but I imagine you could. You would have to adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe to compensate for the added sugar in the marzipan though. I will have to do the math and figure that one out. I’ll get back to you on that.

Because it has only 1/3 cup of flour in the batter the cake is relatively dense. It wouldn’t win any prizes in a beauty contest either! But boy, does it ever taste good!

So the first thing you are going to do is pre-heat the oven to 350*F (175*C) and adjust the rack to the middle position. Next you will prepare the cake tin; an 8″ (20cm) round tin with high, straight sides: Lightly butter the tin. Cut a round of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the tin and butter that too. (A critical step, this. I’ve had enough disasters trying to unmold a cake determined to stay in the tin!) Then take a handful of flour and dust to coat the inside of the tin. Tip out any excess flour, giving the tin a sharp tap on the counter so only a thin, even film of flour remains.

Now, sift together the flour and baking powder in a small bowl or onto a sheet of parchment paper and set it aside. (If you do this on parchment paper it will be easier to tip into the cake batter later on).

If you have a food mixer such as a KitchenAid, now is the time to drag it out and put it to work to cream together the butter and sugar. If you don’t have a KA mixer, a hand held beater will work too.

Once the butter and sugar are nice and fluffy, add in walnut sized pieces of the almond paste, one at a time. Do this on medium speed making sure each piece is incorporated before adding the next. We like almond paste but we don’t want to be biting on lumps of it in the cake. When that’s done beat in the eggs, again, one at a time. Stop the mixer as needed to scrape down the sides to be sure the eggs and butter are thoroughly mixed.

Now beat in the kirsch (or rum), the almond extract and the salt. Finally beat in the flour mixture. Start on low speed when you add the flour so you don’t end up with a cloud of flour in your face, then increase the speed to medium. You’ll want to beat the mixture for about 30 seconds or so to form a smooth batter and develop some structure. Not too much mind you, just enough so the cake doesn’t collapse as it cools. If needs be stop the mixer and scrape down the sides to make sure the batter is totally smooth.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Into the pre-heated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until a tester (I use wooden toothpicks I keep for just this purpose) comes out clean. Ovens vary quite a bit so the times given are guidelines. Look for visual clues like the color of the cake and whether it is starting to shrink away from the edges of the tin. You might want to start the toothpick test at around the 25 minute mark and judge from there how much longer to bake the cake. While it is still warm the cake is quite delicate so you should let it cool completely in the tin before unmolding it onto a serving plate. With a dusting of powdered sugar this cake is ready for prime time. You can gild the lily if you like by adding a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries. Raspberries are a good choice because almond and raspberry is a culinary marriage made in heaven. Or, how about this:

If it is not yet raspberry season, buy some frozen berries and cook them down with a little sugar so the berries completely disintegrate. Pass the berry mush through a sieve to get out the seeds. Stir in a few drops of lemon juice and a splash of the kirsch you used in the cake to make a nice sauce (or coulis as it’s properly called) to go with the cake. Yum!

No raspberries today so I served blueberries instead.

Author: kaysdad

I am a self confessed foodie and food science geek (some might even say a food snob. I wouldn't disagree). I have been interested in food all my life but, circumstances being what they were, I began to practice my craft somewhat later in life. I love to pass on the knowledge I have gained over the years to anybody willing to learn. At the same time I am always open to learning new things, and not just about food...