Baking Equipment
one 5 1/2-Cup shallow fluted tube pan
Batter:
2/3 cup (70 grams) sifted cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
8 ounces (1 scant cup) almond paste, room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
5 1/2 ounces (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup raspberry jam
3 1/2 ounces (3/4 CUP) toasted sliced almonds
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Variation (as in picture): To make individual Butter Almond Cakes, grease and flour
seven fluted, removable-bottom tart pans (4 inches across the top, 3 inches across the bottom,
and 1 1/4-inches deep). Place a small round of waxed or parchment paper in bottom. Set pans
on a large baking sheet. Position rack to lower third of oven; preheat oven to 350° F.
Spoon batter into tart pans to fill only three-quarters up sides. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until
golden brown on top and cakes spring back when lightly pressed in center. Remove from oven
to a cooling rack. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before removing. To unmold, gently tap pan on work
surface until cakes come away from sides. Invert onto rack, turn right side up, and cool
completely before serving. (Or freeze in a sturdy container for up to 10 days.) Before serving,
remove parchment liner. Sprinkle each cake lightly with powdered sugar and decorate the top of
each cake with a sliced strawberry and some Decorator's Sliced Almonds. Makes 7
small cakes.
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This is a moist butter cake with a subtle almond flavor. When small strawberries or fresh
raspberries are available, I substitute them for the jam and nuts and arrange the berries on top
of the cake as though it were a tart.
baking preparations:
Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350° F.
Using a paper towel, grease the bottom and sides of the pan with solid shortening. Dust
generously with all-purpose flour, shake to distribute, and tap out excess.
ingredient preparations:
Pour the flour, baking powder, and salt into a triple sifter. Sift onto a
sheet of waxed paper and set aside.
Crack the eggs into a small mixing bowl; whisk together just to combine yolks and whites.
Place the almond paste in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer.
making the cake:
With the flat beater (paddle), beat the almond paste on low speed (#3) for 30
seconds. Maintaining the same speed, add the sugar in a steady stream, and beat until
incorporated (about 1 minute).
Continue on low speed while adding the butter, tablespoon by tablespoon. Stop the machine after
all the buttcr has been added, and scrape the mixture clinging to the sides down into the center
of bowl. Increase the speed to medium (#5) and cream until mixture is smooth, lighter in
color, and fluffy in texture (about 3 to 4 minutes). No lumps of almond paste should be visible.
With the mixer still on medium speed, pour in the eggs, cautiously at first, tablespoon by
tablespoon, as if you were adding oil when making mayonnaise. Each time the egg is absorbed,
add a little more. if at any time the mixture appears watery or shiny, stop the flow of egg and
increase the speed until a smooth, silken appearancc returns. Then decrease the speed to
medium and resume adding the eggs.
Continue to cream, scraping the sides of the bowl at least once, until the mixture appears light
in color and fluffy in texture (about 2 to 3 minutes). Detach the beater and bowl, and tap the
beater against the side of the bowl to free the excess. Stir in the orange zest with a rubber
spatula.
With the same rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl often
and mixing until smooth.
baking the cake:
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it level with the rubber
spatula.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the
center is removed free of cake. (It is perfectly natural for this cake to shrink slightly toward
the end of baking.)
cooling the cake:
Place the cake on a rack to cool for about 5 minutes. With mitts, tilt and rotate
the pan and gently tip it to see if the cake releases from the sides. If not, or if in doubt, run a
small metal spatula or thin table knife between the cake edge and metal rim, freeing the sides
and allowing air to get under the cake as it is rotated.
Turn the cake out onto a rack, remove the pan, and invcrt the cake right side up to cool
completely.
finishing the cake:
On the day of serving, spread the raspberry jam over the entire surface of
the cake, using the back of a spoon (if necessary, warm jam slightly to make spreading easier).
Top with the toasted almonds. Serve at room temperature.
storing the cake:
Store at room temperature, or freeze before decorating.
baker's notes:
You can also bake this batter in a 9-inch square pan, greased, floured, and lined with baking
parchment.
If you are using a fluted mold, as I suggest, grease, then flour it carefully; lining with baking
parchment is not necessary.
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