Almond-Butter Crusted Pound Cake

By gjramsey

Fannie Farmer Cookbook
(Ideal to make ahead of time and freeze, this soft cake is a good, moist, rich pound cake inside a crunchy, buttery almond crust.)

Ingredients

• Pound cake batter:
• Almond-butter crust
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick or about 1/3 cup) butter
• 1/2 cup light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 stick butter, softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

To make the crust:
Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, and beat until well blended. Add the flour and blend into the butter and sugar until mixture is crumbly. Add the almonds and stir lightly to distribute them well. Pat the mixture over the bottom and halfway up the sides of an 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ inch loaf pan. Spread the crust evenly and don’t get it too thick in the corners or abound the edges. Set aside while you prepare the cake batter.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To make the cake batter:
First put the uncracked eggs in a bowl and pour hot tap
water over them. Let stand a few minutes to warm the eggs gently.
Combine the butter, cream cheese, and sugar in a mixing bowl, and beat until smooth and blended. Crack the warmed eggs into the batter and beat well.
Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder, and stir them together. Add to the first mixture and beat well, then add the vanilla. Continue beating until the batter is smooth and well blended; it will have the consistency of a soft frosting