Golden Almond Cake

By norsegal8

This butter cake has the lovely flavor of almond. It also has a soft and dissolving texture, with a beautiful golden crust. The cake takes no time at all to make. When the mood strikes, I can assemble and mix the batter in the time it takes to preheat the oven (using the microwave to soften the butter). I bake it for 45 minutes and, ignoring the safety precaution of letting it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before unmolding, unmold it onto a rack, place it in the freezer for 10 minutes, then cut a piece to eat. Still slightly warm, it is at its moist tender.
The formula for this cake is the same as that for Sour Cream Butter cake except that 1/3 cup flour is replaced by 1/3 cup finely grated almonds. The almonds add flavor and bulk but do not contribute structure, so whole eggs are needed and leavening must be decreased. The small amount of vanilla is added to enhance the almond flavor.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 2/3 cups sifted cake flour
• 1/3 cup (ground) unblanched sliced almonds, toasted and finely ground
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch cake pan or a 9-inch springform pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease again and flour the pan.

In a medium bowl, lightly combine the eggs, 1/4 of the sour cream and the extracts.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and the remaining sour cream. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed and beat for 1 1/2 minutes to aerate and develope the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides. Gradually add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until a wire cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula and unmold or remove the sides of the springform pan. Allow to cool completely before wrapping airtight.