Description
Ina Garten’s almond cake delights with Mediterranean-inspired flavors and elegant simplicity. Pastry chefs and home bakers will savor this light, delectable dessert perfect for afternoon tea or special gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup (120 ml) maple syrup
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240 g) blanched almond flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup (30 g) sliced raw almonds, plus more for serving
- Powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and lightly spray an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
- Almond Toasting: Spread sliced almonds on a baking sheet and roast for 4-5 minutes until golden, watching carefully to prevent burning, then cool completely.
- Dry Ingredient Blend: Whisk almond flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl until uniformly combined.
- Wet Ingredient Fusion: In a larger bowl, thoroughly blend eggs, maple syrup, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Batter Assembly: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, creating a uniform batter without overmixing, then transfer to prepared pan and distribute toasted almond slices evenly across the surface.
- Baking Process: Bake for 20-25 minutes until top turns light golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, indicating perfect doneness.
- Finishing Touch: Allow cake to cool completely in the pan, then dust with powdered sugar and optionally garnish with raw almond slices for enhanced texture and presentation.
Notes
- Roast Almonds Carefully: Watch closely while toasting almonds to achieve golden color without burning, as they can quickly turn bitter and dark.
- Avoid Overmixing Batter: Gently fold dry and wet ingredients to maintain the cake’s delicate texture, preventing a tough or dense final result.
- Toothpick Test Matters: Use the clean toothpick method to confirm cake doneness, ensuring the center is fully baked without becoming dry.
- Cooling Technique: Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan to help it set properly and prevent potential structural collapse or crumbling.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg