Toasted almond cake

Yield: 24 servings

Measure Ingredient
3 cups Less 1 T unsifted cake flour
2 tablespoons Almond flour
½ teaspoon Baking powder
½ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Freshly grated nutmeg
12 tablespoons Unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons Solid shortening
2 tablespoons Confectioners' sugar
2¾ cup Sugar
5 \N Extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Almond extract
1 cup Milk
1 cup Chopped almonds, lightly toasted

TO FINISH THE CAKE (OPT

Preheat oven to 350xF. Lightly butter and flour a swirled 10" (12-cup) bundt pan. Sift together two times the cake flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Cream the butter and shortening in the large bowl of an electric mixer on moderate speed for 4 minutes. Increase the speed to moderately high, add one-third of the sugar, and cream for 3 minutes.

Add half of the remaining sugar, cream for 3 minutes; add the remaining sugar, beat for 2 minutes longer. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl frequently to keep the batter even-textured. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.

On low speed, alternately add the sifted mixture in 3 additions with the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the sifted mixture. Stir in the chopped almonds. Pour and scrape the batter into the pan. Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the cake withdraws clean and dry. The top of the fully baked cake will be golden brown.

Let the cake stand in the pan on a rack for 4-5 minutes. Invert the cake onto another cooling rack, then invert again to cool right-side-up. Cool completely. Sift the cake with confectioners' sugar, if you wish.

NOTE: Almond flour, simply very finely ground almonds, replaces a little of the cake flour in this recipe and builds on the almond flavor.

Per serving: 326 calories, 5 g protein, 44 g carbohydrates, 15 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 74 mg cholesterol, 84 mg sodium.

Source: Lisa Yockelson, "Nuts to Crack," The Washington Post FOOD Section, 9/14/94. Typed by Linda Howard.

From: Linda Howard Date: 09-16-94

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