Everyone knows me and cake are best friends. I prefer cakes to all other types of treats. But I also get bored of the same cake, which is why I need different cakes.
So meet my new favourite cake. The Almond cake.
It doesn't have a gritty texture. I don't like coarse cakes that use polenta or other harsher grains. I'm much too childish for such things. My cakes must be fluffy.
Ingredients
Ground almond (almond meal) is the key ingredient in this cake. It is basically almonds that have been peeled and put through the food processor.
Other ingredients include yoghurt to keep the cake nice and tender. I also use oil instead of butter.
I use two eggs plus one extra yolk to make the cake slightly chewy. Lemon zest and some orange blossom water will give a nice fragrance too.
I know some almond cake recipes include almond extract but I find it's bitter and unnecessary.
Instructions
As with most cakes, start with the wet ingredients, then incorporate the dry ingredients. Straightforward so far...
The trickiest part of the cake is combining the oil at the end. You have to be super patient and do it bit by bit if you can.
You don't want to over-mix the cake or the gluten will develop and the cake will be heavy but you have to make sure there is no loose oil either or it will split.
I baked my cake for 25 minutes at 180C Fan (350F) Poke the cake with a toothpick to check it is done and it should come out clean.
I then covered it with a thin layer of apricot jam (jelly) and a generous layer of toasted almond flakes, for a beautiful crunchy top.
Substitutions
Sometimes you want to bake a cake and don't want to go to the shops. If you have these ingredients lying around you can switch them in.
- Almond flour - if you don't have ground almonds you can use almond flour though the overall texture will be different.
- Buttermilk - you can use buttermilk instead of yoghurt.
- Melted butter - melt some butter instead of using vegetable oil.
Equipment & Storage
I used an 8 inch round cake tin.
Store in an airtight container once cool. Best eaten within 24 hours with some nice tea.
📖 Recipe
Easy Almond Cake
Almond cake with ground almonds and a crunchy topping
Ingredients
- 2 eggs +1 yolk
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup yoghurt
- ¾ cups plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup ground almonds
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon orange blossom water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
To decorate
- Apricot jam jelly
- Handful toasted almond flakes
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 180C Fan (350F)
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Beat together the eggs, yoghurt and sugar
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In a separate bowl, sieve the flour and baking powder, add the ground almonds and salt. Mix together
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Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ones. Add the lemon zest and orange blossom water.
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Gently fold, then slowly add the vegetable oil and keep on gently folding until well combined. Be patient with this step it may take a few minutes
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Grease an 8 inch pan and pour the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Leave the cake to cool then add a layer of apricot jam, and top with almond flakes.
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Mina
This cake was perfect not too sweet