Almond Cake with Roasted Pineapple and Vanilla Cream

Name: Almond Cake with Roasted Pineapple and Vanilla Cream
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 0.25 cup blanched slivered almonds; 0.75 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour; 0.5 tsp baking soda; 0.25 tsp salt; 1 cup sugar; 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature; 2 large eggs; 6 tbsp sour cream; 0.5 tsp grated lemon peel; 0.25 tsp almond extract; 1 8-ounce container crème fraîche or sour cream; 2 tbsp powdered sugar; 1.25 tsp vanilla extract; 1 4 1/2-pound pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cored; 0.33 cup dark brown sugar; 0.33 cup pineapple juice; 0.25 tsp ground cloves; 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon

From the kitchen of Carly

Tender almond cake with subtle lemon brightness gets topped with caramelized pineapple and a cloud of vanilla cream. It's buttery and moist, with just enough almond extract to keep things interesting without screaming "almond cake" at you.

Almond Cake with Roasted Pineapple and Vanilla Cream

The cake is tender, fine-crumbed, and almond-forward without being cloying, while the pineapple caramelizes into something spiced and sweet, its edges browned and its juices syrupy. Ground almonds in the batter give it structure and richness that stands up to the fruit without competing. Crème fraîche whipped with vanilla keeps everything cool and balanced.

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

Ingredients

4 servings

1/4 cupblanched slivered almonds
3/4 cupplus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 tspbaking soda
1/4 tspsalt
1 cupsugar
6 tbspunsalted butter, room temperature
2 largeeggs
6 tbspsour cream
1/2 tspgrated lemon peel
1/4 tspalmond extract
18-ounce container crème fraîche or sour cream
2 tbsppowdered sugar
1 1/4 tspvanilla extract
14 1/2-pound pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cored
1/3 cupdark brown sugar
1/3 cuppineapple juice
1/4 tspground cloves
1/4 tspground cinnamon

Instructions

Set the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan. Pulse the almonds, flour, baking soda, and salt in a food processor until the almonds are finely ground. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter together until blended, then beat in the eggs one at a time, just until incorporated. Stir in the sour cream, lemon peel, and almond extract, then fold in the flour mixture until it just comes together. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 38 minutes. Rest the cake on a rack for 15 minutes, then turn it out. If making a day ahead, let it cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic, and store at room temperature. Rewarm it unwrapped in the microwave before serving.
In a small bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Cover and refrigerate if making up to a day ahead.
Crank the oven up to 375°F. Lay the pineapple quarters in a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk the brown sugar, 1/3 cup pineapple juice, cloves, and cinnamon, then pour the mixture over the pineapple. Roast for about 1 hour 15 minutes, turning and basting the pineapple with its juices every 20 minutes and splashing in extra pineapple juice by the tablespoon as needed to keep things from scorching, until the pineapple is tender and the juices have turned a deep amber brown. If making ahead, let it sit at room temperature for up to 3 hours and rewarm in a 375°F oven for 10 minutes before continuing.
Slice the warm pineapple crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick pieces. Cut the warm cake into 8 portions and place one on each of 8 plates. Spoon the pineapple and its caramelized juices over the top, finish with a dollop of vanilla cream, and serve immediately.

Tips from the kitchen

Grind your almonds fresh with the flour, baking soda, and salt, then fold everything in gently, stirring only until just combined, so the cake stays tender and doesn't turn dense.
Baste the pineapple every 20 minutes and watch for browning on the edges, the sign that the juices are reducing and caramelizing, not just stewing.
Room-temperature ingredients beat together faster and hold more air, which makes a lighter cake, so pull your butter and eggs out an hour before you start.

Variations

Swap the roasted pineapple for roasted stone fruit (peaches, apricots, plums) and use cardamom instead of cloves.
Make it a trifle by crumbling the cooled cake, layering it with the pineapple, vanilla cream, and some toasted almonds in glasses.
Use fresh whipped cream instead of crème fraîche, or fold a spoonful of sour cream into mascarpone for something richer.

Make ahead and storage

The cake wrapped in plastic keeps at room temperature for a day; the roasted pineapple keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be rewarmed gently. Assemble the plate just before serving so the cake doesn't get soggy.