This Almond Cake, modified from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2015, is very much a luxurious European-style cake to make at home. It is lofty, luscious, and sweet, with the top crust of almonds providing a pleasant crunch.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Keyword: almond, cake, food processor, springform pan
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
9-inch springform pan
parchment paper
large food processor
Ingredients
Cake:
1 1/2cupssliced almonds
3/4cupall-purpose flour
3/4teaspoonsalt
1/4teaspoonbaking powder
1/8teaspoonbaking soda
4large eggs room temperature
1 1/4cupswhite sugar
2lemons zested
3/4teaspoonalmond extract
5Tablespoonsunsalted butter melted
1/3cupvegetable oil
Topping:
2Tablespoonswhite sugar
1/2teaspoonlemon zest
1/3cupsliced almonds
Instructions
Preheat oven at 300-degrees.. Cut a piece of parchment to fit in the bottom of the springform pan. Grease pan, place parchment inside, then grease that as well. Set aside.
In food processor, pulse sliced almonds, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until the almonds are finely ground. This will be 5 to 10 pulses. Move mixture to another bowl.
Into the now-empty processor, place the eggs, white sugar, 1 Tablespoon of lemon zest (reserve rest for topping), and almond extract. Process for about 2 minutes, until everything turns pale yellow. Pour in the melted butter and oil until they are blended in. Add the almond mixture with a series of pulses.
Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Start preparing the topping by using fingertips to mix the lemon zest into the white sugar, dispersing the zest throughout. Sprinkle the almonds all over the top of the cake. Follow that up with the lemon-sugar.
Bake cake until the middle is set and bounces back when gently pressed, about 55 minutes to an hour. The middle should also pass the toothpick test. Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes. Run a plastic knife or toothpick around the sides of the cake to make sure it is loose. Set a plate on top of the cake and tip it out to invert it. Then set cake back onto a cooling rack, almonds up.
Let cake cool at least 2 hours at room temperature, or speed the process by chilling it in the fridge. Cake tastes best at room temperature. Cut into wedges and serve.
Individual wedges of cake can be wrapped in plastic to keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, or can be frozen for later enjoyment.