– This simple ginger-almond cake recipe uses marzipan, for uber-almond delicious-ness. –
As much as I love fancy cakes, a lot of the time I prefer simpler recipes that aren’t terribly high maintenance. A four-layer chocolate blackout cake is awesome, but I’m happiest when you give me an unpretentious cake that I can throw together easily and still impress my dinner guests. (This Meyer-lemon mascarpone cheesecake excluded, of course.)
Plus, traveling with a fancy cake is tough. Have you ever left the house with perfectly coifed icing, only to arrive at your destination with your cake looking like you threw the box down the stairs? Serious fail, especially for those of us who take pride in the quality of our frosting work.
Easy almond cake recipe to the rescue
If you’re ever on the lookout for a versatile cake recipe, one that is just as comfortable at afternoon tea as it is following your mom’s famous roast beef, then look no further than this lovely ginger-almond cake recipe, with a little marzipan thrown in for good measure. It’s seriously moist and fulfilling, and even offers up a good bit of protein from a healthy dose of almonds – in the form of marzipan, almond butter, and almond extract – and a touch of spicy mystery thanks to generous bit of ginger.
This almond marzipan cake is a delightfully rich treat with a tender crumb, one that keeps well for up to four days in an airtight container. It’s perfect with coffee, great for high tea, and even holds it own as a dinner party dessert with a quick sprinkling of slices almonds. Because sliced almonds make everything look like you just stepped out of a bakery.
And, it’s super easy to put together. This ginger almond cake recipe involves very few dishes almost no elbow grease. The cake batter is made in the food processor, so the key to its texture is to not over-process the batter once you’ve added the flour, which will cause the gluten within the wheat to tighten up and become overly dense. Our goal here is light and tender, not the texture of a deflated basketball. So stay your hand with the pulsing and listen to the recipe when it tells you how many times to pulse the batter!
- 1 cup flour, sifted and divided
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces marzipan or almond paste
- 1-inch knob of ginger, minced
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and flour a deep 9-inch cake pan. Place a parchment round on the bottom of the pan.
- In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the flour along with the baking powder and salt. Stir until combined and set aside.
- Place the marzipan and ginger in a food processor and pulse 4 or 5 times. Add sugar, cinnamon, and the remaining 1/4 cup of flour, pulsing until the mixture is a sandy texture.
- To the food processor add the butter, almond butter, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Process until the batter is fully combined, with a light, smooth texture.
- Add the sour cream and pulse a few times, then add the eggs one at a time, pulsing 6 or 7 times after each one. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor, if necessary.
- Add half of the flour mixture and pulse only 4 or 5 times. Add the rest of the flour mixture, pulsing just until incorporated - maybe 3 or 4 times. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into a cake pan and smooth with a spatula. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the top is a nice golden brown and feels firm in the center. Slide a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake, then allow the cake to cool in the pan.
- Once the cake is cool, remove it from the pan and discard the parchment bottom. Serve sprinkled with sliced almonds.
Special Equipment: Deep 9-inch cake pan, food processor.
This content was originally posted on FearlessFresh.com.
