Almond Cake

From the kitchen of Carly

Dense, nutty almond cake with bright citrus notes and a delicate crumb from whipped egg whites. Orange and lemon zests give it complexity, while a whisper of almond extract deepens the flavor. Dust with confectioners sugar and serve with tea or coffee.

Almond Cake

Almond flour, citrus zest, and separated eggs make a cake that's tender without any wheat flour. The crumb stays moist for days, and the almond extract amplifies the nut flavor without adding anything artificial. One springform pan and a good electric mixer are all you need to get here from kitchen confidence to the cooling rack.

Prep
n/a
Cook
n/a
Total
n/a
Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1/2 lbblanched whole almonds
  • 6 largeeggs, separated
  • 1 1/4 cupsuperfine sugar
  • 1Grated zest of 1 orange
  • 1Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 4 dropalmond extract
  • 1"Confectioners sugar for dusting"

Instructions

  1. Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely ground.

  2. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture turns pale and creamy. Add both zests and the almond extract, beating them in, then mix in the ground almonds until everything is thoroughly combined.

  3. With clean beaters and a large bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold them into the almond mixture, turning it over quite a bit to incorporate, since the batter is thick and will need some coaxing.

  4. Butter an 11-inch springform pan, preferably nonstick, and dust it with flour. Pour in the batter and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 40 minutes, or until the top feels firm when pressed. Cool completely before turning out.

  5. Right before serving, sift confectioners' sugar over the top. For a decorative touch, cut a St. James cross from paper, lay it in the center of the cake, dust generously with confectioners' sugar, then carefully lift the paper away.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Grind your blanched almonds yourself in a food processor right before mixing, not ahead of time. Pre-ground almonds can turn oily or stale. Stop grinding as soon as they're finely powdered.
  • The egg whites are folded into a very thick base, so be patient and turn the batter over itself multiple times instead of stirring. You're looking for no streaks of white, which takes more work than with a thin batter.
  • A nonstick springform pan is worth it here. The cake is delicate and sticks easily, and you avoid the frustration of wrestling it out of a regular pan.

Variations

  • Swap the lemon zest for lime zest if you want a sharper, more tropical turn.
  • Skip the almond extract and add 1 tablespoon of orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier) to the egg yolk mixture for a boozy, sophisticated edge.
  • Fold in 1 cup of fresh raspberries or blackberries at the very end, just before the batter hits the pan, for a fruit and almond combination.

Make ahead and storage

Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for an hour before serving. Do not refrigerate, which hardens the crumb.