Dreaming of...

Almond cake!

For all you marzipan lovers out there, Amanda Hesser has a great recipe in her book Cooking for Mr. Latte. I've made it countless times, and it's fool proof. Plus it always looks so cute because it's sunken in the middle. Top it off with some pretty powdered sugar, and you have moist, almond paste swirled into every bite.

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Almond cake (from Amanda Hesser's Cooking for Mr. Latte)

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, more for buttering pan
1 cup sour cream at room temp
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sifted all purpose flour, measured after sifting
0.5 teaspoon sea salt
1.5 cups sugar
7 oz. tube almond paste, cut into small pieces
4 egg yolks at room temperature
1 teaspoon almond extract
confectioner’s sugar for sifting over cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Butter sides/bottom of 9” springform pan

Mix sour cream and baking soda in small bowl. Sift flour and salt into another bowl.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add almond paste little at time at medium speed and beat for 8 minutes. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, and mix until incorporated. It will look curdled, don’t worry. Blend in almond extract and sour cream mixture. Reduce speed to low and gradually add in flour mixture just until blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake about one hour. It is done when you press the top and it returns to its shape and also shrinks from the side of the pan. Remove from oven and place on baking rack.