Almond Cake
This almond cake is a plain, tender square that suits an afternoon with tea. It uses no baking powder or yeast, so all the lift comes from air beaten into the butter and sugar at the start. Ground almonds replace most of the wheat flour, giving a moist, nutty crumb. A little almond extract alongside the vanilla pushes the flavor further if you want it.
Instructions
Beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Stop and scrape down the bowl so everything is evenly mixed.
Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a separate bowl. Beat them into the butter mixture a little at a time, since adding too much at once can make the batter curdle.
Mix in the almond flour on low speed. Then fold in the all-purpose flour by hand or on the lowest setting, stopping as soon as no dry streaks remain, because overmixing makes the cake tough.
Line the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch square cake pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment and the sides of the pan, then scrape in the batter and smooth the top.
Bake at 350°F (180°C) until the top is golden brown and a skewer pushed into the center comes out clean. Oven and pan size change the timing, so start checking after about 30 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan. Run a knife around the edges if it sticks, turn the cake out, and peel off any parchment clinging to it.
Dust the top with powdered sugar if you like. If the edges and corners have dried out a little, slice them off and save them for snacking, cake crumbs or a trifle.
Make it personal.
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