Flourless Almond Cake

Adapted from From Baklava to Tarte Tatin by Bernard Laurance (Rizzoli, 2016)

Note: This will be a thin disc of a cake to be served with whipped cream. I usually add a little Amaretto liqueur (Luxardo is the brand I like) to the cream before I whip it. It’s also good with ice cream—sweet cream or vanilla.

Note: This is best made the day before you plan to serve it—but if you’re baking it the same day, just make it early.

Note: Don’t use almond flour for this recipe. I blitz my own unblanched almonds (almonds with their skins on), not quite as fine as commercial almond flour.

Note: I can’t quite decide if I notice the difference between toasting the almonds and not toasting them—which essentially means it’s not necessary—but you might want to see what you think. If you decide to toast them, you need to do it in advance as (1) you want them to cool, and (2) they toast for 10 minutes, turning once at the 5-minute mark, in a 350°F oven, and the cake cooks in a 325°F oven.

Flourless Almond Cake
Serves 6 to 8

120 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled but still liquid
A little softened butter for coating the pan
200 grams unblanched whole almonds, raw or roasted but definitely unsalted (see Note above)
¼ teaspoon salt
100 grams confectioner’s sugar, sifted (I sift through a coarse sieve, not a flour sifter)
100 grams granulated sugar (I like Domino’s Golden Sugar)
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325°F, not convection.

Generously butter the sides of an 8-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit. There’s no need to butter the parchment paper.

Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely ground, but not powdery—less fine than commercial almond flour.

In a large bowl, combine the blitzed almonds, salt, sifted confectioner’s sugar, and granulated sugar.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla, then add to the dry ingredients along with the cooled, still-liquid butter. Mix until smooth and the butter is fully incorporated. The batter should be quite thick. Scrape it into the prepared cake pan and, using a small offset spatula, smooth the top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out (sort of) clean. (In my oven, 40 minutes is just right.) You want to turn it out of the pan quickly. After 2—but no more than 5—minutes, carefully run a small straight metal spatula or the blade of a thin knife around the cake in the pan. If it seems to be “pulling,” wait a minute and try again. After you’ve done this, release the cake. If it doesn’t seem to release right away, hold it upside down for a minute and it will release.

Cool before serving.

Note: This recipe is for an 8-inch pan. If you want to use a 6-inch pan to make a very small cake, simply cut the recipe in half.

Note: I use Kerrygold butter and keep both salted and unsalted in the house. This recipe calls for unsalted butter, but I’ve started using salted butter in my baking, so use whichever you prefer.