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Almond Cake

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup (1.75 oz, 46g) all purpose (plain) flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 cup (5.25 oz, 150g) sugar
  • 4 oz (113g) unsalted butter - - soft room temperature
  • 7 oz (200g) almond paste - - not marzipan! *See Note below
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 Tbs (15ml) kirschwasser - - **See note below
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) almond extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Powdered sugar for dusting the finished cake
  • raspberries or other seasonal soft fruit - - optional
Raspberry Coulis
  • 1 bag frozen raspberries
  • 1/4-1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbs lemon juice
  • 1 Tbs kirschwasser - - optional

Equipment

  • 1 8" (20cm) diameter cake tin

Method
 

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with the rack in the middle position. Butter an 8" (20cm) round cake tin. Line the bottom of the tin with a round of parchment paper. Butter the parchment. Dust the tin with flour, tapping out any excess.
  2. Mix the flour and baking powder on to a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper and set aside.
  3. Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in walnut sized pieces of almond paste one at a time, beating until the almond paste is fully incorporated before adding the next piece. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
  4. Mix in the kirsch (or rum), almond extract and salt. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly on medium speed to develop a little bit of structure, about 30 seconds or so.
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake about 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Start testing at the 25 minute mark to judge for doneness.
  6. Cool completely in the tin on a wire rack. Once cool, place the rack over the tin and invert it to unmold the cake. Peel off the parchment (if it came along with the cake) and set your serving plate over the cake. Flip the cake again to right side up. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve it plain or, for a more decadent desert, add a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh raspberries and/or raspberry coulis.
  7. For the coulis, place the frozen berries in a medium pot and cook them with 1/4-1/2 cup of sugar until the berries are completely broken down. Pass them through a sieve to remove the seeds. Stir in the lemon juice and optional kirch (or not if you are feeding the cake to the kids). Adjust the sweetness with more sugar if need be.

Notes

*Do not confuse almond paste with marzipan; they are quite different. Marzipan is basically almond paste with more sugar added.
**Kirschwasser is a kind of cherry brandy. Dark rum is a good alternative.
This is a fairly dense cake that is intensely almond flavored. It will rise in the oven but will collapse a little as it cools. Certainly not the prettiest of cakes but very delicious.

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