Almond Cake With Roasted Pineapple And Vanilla Cream Recipe Epicuriouscom Recipes

ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter sides and bottoms of 2 8-inch cake or springform pans; line sides and bottoms with parchment paper. Butter paper. Place pans in freezer.
• Sift flour and salt into a small bowl. Set aside. In a mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter and granulated sugar at high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add almond paste, a little at a time at medium speed, and beat 8 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, and almond extract. Mix sour cream and baking soda and add to butter mixture. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, just until blended.
• Divide batter between prepared pans and spread evenly. Bake about 40 minutes to an hour, until tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed and cakes shrink from sides of the pans. Cool in pans on wire rack. Remove sides of pans and remove paper. When ready to serve, sift confectioners' sugar on top and slice like pie.

ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Finely grind the almonds in a food processor.
• With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar to a smooth pale cream. Beat in the zests and almond extract. Add the ground almonds and mix very well.
• With clean beaters, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold them into the egg and almond mixture (the mixture is thick, so that you will need to turn it over quite a bit into the egg whites).
• Grease an 11-inch springform pan, preferably nonstick, with butter and dust it with flour. Pour in the cake batter, and bake into a preheated 350°F for 40 minutes, or until it feels firm to the touch. Let cool before turning out.
• Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar. Or, if you like, cut a St. James cross out of paper. Place it in the middle of the cake, and dust the cake with confectioners' sugar, then remove the paper.

ALMOND CAKE WITH PEACHES AND CREAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and lightly flour a 9- or 10-inch springform pan.
• Place almond flour and confectioners' sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add egg white, almond extract and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and process until it all forms a paste.
• Add granulated sugar to the food processor and pulse until everything is well combined and crumbly. Add butter and vanilla, and continue processing until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the machine running, add eggs one at a time, processing until smooth between eggs.
• Stop the machine, scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, and add flour, baking powder and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pulse a few times, until the dry ingredients are just integrated. (Be careful not to overprocess.)
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 to 70 minutes for a 10-inch pan and 70 to 80 minutes for a 9-inch pan. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cake cool completely before unmolding and serving.
• Put the peach slices in a bowl and taste a slice. If they seem tart, sprinkle peaches with a little confectioners' sugar.
• Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar. You can serve slices of the cake with the peaches and cream on the side or dollop some whipped cream on top of the cake and top with the peaches before cutting.

PINEAPPLE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger and salt. In large bowl, beat 1 2/3 cups sugar, eggs and 1/4 cup butter until fluffy. Mix in pineapple with syrup and 1/2 cup almonds, then dry ingredients. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool 20 minutes.
• Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and remaining 1/4 cup butter in medium bowl to blend. Spread frosting over warm cake. Sprinkle with remaining almonds.

HONEY-ALMOND CAKES WITH PINEAPPLE ZABAGLIONE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter six 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins. Blend almond paste and sugar in processor until well blended. Using electric mixer, beat butter in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in almond paste mixture, then honey and Tuaca. Add eggs 1 at a time, blending well between additions. Whisk flour and salt in small bowl; mix into almond paste mixture. Divide batter among prepared cups. Bake until golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly in cups. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 325°F oven for 10 minutes, if desired.)
• Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl set over pan of barely simmering water until very thick, whisking constantly, about 7 minutes.
• Pour warm zabaglione over warm or room-temperature cakes, sprinkle with toasted almonds, and serve.
• *Available in the baking-products section of most supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.
• **A citrusy, vanilla-flavored Italian liqueur; available at specialty liquor stores.