Things have been very busy around here. We unpacked about 3/4 of the way through the move and I finally finished painting my studio (yay!!) so I could move all my ceramics, furniture and photography gear in there and organize everything, which sense Very relaxing. As someone who gets very anxious when things aren’t easy to find, the move was pretty intense lol. But getting my creative space together was absolutely amazing and I made this Caramelized Almond Cake to get off to a great start.
The cake itself is a yogurt, olive oil and almond cake with almond flour, wheat flour, almond extract, vanilla, orange juice and zest. It has a wonderful aromatic flavor that is enhanced by Sicilian flowers extract. This is an Italian flavoring that is a combination of citrus and vanilla and adds THE most insanely delicious flavor to baked goods. You can substitute vanilla, but I highly encourage you to add it to your extract cupboard – you won’t regret it. The cake is topped with mascarpone whipped cream, and then caramelized almond slices are glued onto the sides of the cake for some very tasty crunchy bits.
If you want to have something really special during the holidays this year, this caramelized almond cake is for you. It was a real pleasure to have a snack around here during the short days. Goodness, I can’t wait to get past the winter solstice and start having more light again. I miss it so much! I don’t know if I’ll be able to post again before Christmas (it’s been so crazy with all the little home projects like installing curtain rods and putting up shelves in my photo closet… the list goes on) but I wish you the most joyful holiday filled with great food, wonderful company and lots of intimacy in the meantime! And here’s some gingerbread cookie and panettone goodness too, if you’re looking for more fun Christmas baked goods. I’ll get back to you soon, dear reader!
Caramelized Almond Cake
This delicious and decadent cake starts with an almond, olive oil and orange cake topped with mascarpone whipped cream, then finishes with a layer of caramelized sliced almonds on the outside. It’s moist, deeply flavorful, and has a wonderful mix of soft creamy textures from the whipped cream and a delicious crunch from the caramelized almonds.
Almond Oil Cake
-
1 3/4
cups
all purpose flour -
1
cup
almond flour -
3
teaspoons
baking powder -
3/4
teaspoon
cardamom -
1/2
teaspoon
cinnamon -
3/4
teaspoon
salt -
1
cup
full fat Greek yogurt -
1 1/2
cups
granulated sugar -
4
large eggs -
2
spoons
organic orange peel -
2
spoons
freshly squeezed orange juice -
1
teaspoon
almond extract -
1 3/4
teaspoons
vanilla extract -
1/2
teaspoon
Sicilian flowers
can replace more vanilla extract -
3/4
cup
olive oil
Caramelized Almonds
-
2
teaspoons
waterfall -
2
table spoon
unsalted butter
room temperature -
1/4
cup
granulated sugar -
1/2
teaspoon
salt -
2
cups
sliced almonds
Mascarpone whipped cream
-
8
ounces
mascarpone
room temperature (DO NOT use Whole Foods brand, it gets chunky when mixed with heavy whipping cream) -
8
ounces
heavy whipping cream
Cold -
3
spoons
sugar -
1
teaspoon
vanilla bean paste -
1/4
teaspoon
salt
Almond Oil Cake
-
Grease two 6.5-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper and set aside (you can use 8-inch cake pans, they will only bake about 5-10 minutes faster).
-
In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon and salt until smooth. Set aside.
-
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, orange zest and orange juice on low speed until smooth. Add the flour mixture, then add the olive oil and extracts and mix until *just* combined. Divide the batter evenly between the two lined and greased cake pans and bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If using two 8-inch cake pans, bake for 25 to 35 minutes.
-
Allow the cakes to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning them out and letting them cool completely on the wire rack.
Caramelized Almonds
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare it by dissolving the sugar with a little water over medium heat. Continue cooking until the sugar begins to caramelize in the pan and turns a light brown color (keep an eye as it can go from caramelized to burnt quickly), then immediately remove from the heat, add the butter and stir to combine. If the mixture hardens after adding the butter, put it back on the heat and stir until smooth.
-
In a large bowl, pour the caramel mixture over the almonds, toss to coat and spread evenly onto two rimmed baking sheets lined with baking paper and bake for 5 minutes. Remove and let cool to room temperature before breaking the caramelized almonds into about 2-inch pieces.
Mascarpone whipped cream
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix all the ingredients on medium speed until soft peaks form. This will happen quite quickly, so be very careful, you do NOT want to overbeat the mixture. Once soft peaks are reached, remove and set aside.
Assembly
-
Use a long bread knife to cut domes off the tops of the cakes so they are flat on top. Frost the top of one cake, then place the other cake on top and frost the sides and top of the cake. Add any extra whipped cream to the mascarpone on top.
-
Attach the caramelized almonds to the sides of the cake by pressing them gently into the icing. Repeat until the sides of the cake are covered. You can place a piece of caramelized almond on top of a dollop of mascarpone whipped cream on top of the cake for garnish. Serve and enjoy your meal!
-
This will keep in an airtight cake tin in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition Facts
Caramelized Almond Cake
Quantity per serving
Calories 504
Calories from fat 315
% daily value*
Fat 35 g54%
Saturated fat 11 g69%
Trans fat 0.1 g
Polyunsaturated fats 3g
Monounsaturated fats 14g
Cholesterol 76 mg25%
Sodium 252 mg11%
Potassium 245 mg7%
Carbohydrates 41 g14%
3g fiber13%
Sugar 26g29%
Protein 10 g20%
Vitamin A 518 IU10%
Vitamin C 2 mg2%
Soccer 138 mg14%
Iron 2 mg11%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
