Almond Cake for Avalon

I offered to make a cake for Avalon's sixteenth birthday celebration. Our families have been friends since my daughter and Avalon were in kindergarten and they're big fans of my cooking, so naturally I love feeding them. We share a love of all things almond, so an almond cake it would be. 

A cake by David Lebovitz, blogger and baker extraordinaire, came right to the top of my Google search. I made some adjustments to his recipe (to accomodate a bundt pan) by increasing the almond paste, butter and dry ingredients by 50%, the sugar not quite as much, and using the same number of eggs. The result was a moist, delicious and not overly sweet cake. I drizzled an almond glaze over the top and sprinkled it with toasted almonds. We served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and when I tell you this cake was perfection, I'm not exaggerating.

Almond Cake for Avalon

Adapted from David Lebovitz's Almond Cake recipe

Serves 12 slices

12 oz / 310g almond paste

1 and 1/2 cups / 375g sugar

1 and 1/2 cups / 220g flour, plus 1/2 cup / 75g flour

12 ounces / 340g unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons almond extract

6 large eggs, room temperature

Mix the following ingredients in a food processor: sugar, almond paste and 1/2 cup of flour until combined and it looks like sand. Add butter and mix until well blended. Move this to a bowl, add the vanilla and almond extract and beat in the eggs, two at a time, using an electric mixer or whisk.

Add the remaining flour, baking powder and salt to another bowl and mix well. Fold this into the wet batter until combined. Try not to over mix it. Place the batter in a greased and floured bundt pan. I like this swirl pan.

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour, or until it's set when pressed in the middle. It will be golden brown on top. If you insert a toothpick it will come out with just a little bit on crumb on it.

Almond Icing

2 cups confectioners sugar

4 tablespoons of butter (softened at room temperature)

1/4 - 1/3 cup of milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together. Start with 1/4 cup of milk and add more, if needed, to thin the glaze. Pour over the cooled cake and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Allow icing to set, then dust with powered sugar before serving.

Nothing says happy birthday quite like the fontaine de célébration candles from Paul's in the UK. Let me know if you need one as I usually have a stash on hand. I think they're outlawed in this country which is such a shame.

 Happy sweet sixteen, Avalon. xx

Sour Cream Pound Cake with Toasted Almonds and Chocolate Bits

I swear this cake is calling my name...Yes, I have one more variation on the sour cream pound cake that I posted the other day, and it's presently sitting in my dining room calling my name. I can't resist this cake when it's around, so I am now calculating the calories burned on the elliptical, versus the caloric intake of the cake, and I think it's a push!

Sour Cream Pound Cake with Toasted Almonds and Chocolate Bits:

It's the same base recipe that you may have already seen in an earlier post. My feeling is that if you've found a great recipe, then why not stick with it?

Sour Cream Pound Cake

1/2 lb butter or Earth Balance (melted)

3 cups flour

3 cups sugar

1 cup sour cream

5 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

Confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

• Melt butter

• Place all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl 

• Add eggs, sour cream, vanilla and melted butter

• Mix well with electric mixer on medium for 4-5 minutes

And here is the variation. Prepare the above and then add:

2 cups of toasted slivered almonds (cool before adding to the batter)

6  ounces of chopped semi-sweet chocolate (Callebaut Belgian Chocolate) or in a pinch the mini chocolate chips will do.

2 tsp of almond extract

Grease and flour bundt or tube pan; pour in batter and bake for 1.5 hours or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean; cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then insert knife around edges and remove gently from pan.  Place on rack until completely cooled.  Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

I have a smaller tube pan that I like to use, and then there is enough batter to make two small loaves for gifts

 

Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Cello wrap makes a food gift special...

If you like to give the gift of good, then you may already be familiar with the magical qualities of cello wrap. I buy it by the roll, the really big one, and it makes anything you wrap look lovely. Using a nice ribbon, and greens that you can pick right outside your door, you'll have an impressive presentation in just minutes.

During the holidays I go right outside and cut pine greens, and add a magnolia leaf, or perhaps some berries. The ones in the picture above came from a flower arrangement. These below came from my yard:

Place your platter of cookies, a cake, or whatever you'd like to wrap on large piece of cello:

Then gather up the cello and tie it with a nice ribbon, and add  the greens. Trim the top of the cello to make it even.

 

It's really that simple. Here's an idea for a nice bottle of wine:

Enjoy!

The Gift of Cake

I've been giving this cake to our family doctor for at least 8 years now.  Actually last year I forgot to make it and remembered that fact on Christmas eve, so I made it and my husband dropped it at their house on Christmas morning. They had mentioned a few years earlier that it was a very special part of their family celebration so I was not about to let them down. Plus giving the gift of homemade food is not only appreciated by the receiver, it makes the giver feel pretty good, too.

This family recipe was passed on to me by my aunt and is a staple in our family repertoire. I added the nuts to create the coffee cake version, which is the one my doctor is particularly fond of...

Sour Cream Pound Cake
1/2 lb butter or Earth Balance (melted)
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
5 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
Confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

• Melt butter

• Place all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl 

• Add eggs, sour cream, vanilla and melted butter

• Mix well with electric mixer on medium for 4-5 minutes

• Grease and flour bundt or tube pan; pour in batter and bake for 1.5 hours or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean; cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then insert knife around edges and remove gently from pan.  Place on rack until completely cooled.  Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving

Coffee cake variation:

• Chop 3/4 cup walnuts and 3/4 cups pecans; to nuts add 4 tbls melted butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 2 tbls cinnamon.
• Pour half the batter in the pan and make a ring of nuts on top of the batter, trying to keep the nuts away from the side of the pan
• Add remaining batter and bake as instructed above

The plain pound cake is the perfect cake to serve with fresh sliced fruit.  The coffee cake is always a big hit when you have company, which I recommend you have when you make it or you might find yourself eating most of it, a sliver at a time. Enjoy!