Almond Cake

My grandmother made a large Chinese dinner for 6 people, so I had to come up with a dessert that would balance the strong spices and flavors of her cuisine. I opted for a simple almond cake served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You could also present this meal-textured cake with whipped cream and pear slices.

Giada De Laurentiis based this recipe on an almond cake from Il Fornaio bakery in Los Angeles. According to her, "It's very important to cream the butter and almond paste until it becomes thoroughly smooth."

If you're not familiar with it, almond paste is packaged in a tube and can be found in the baking section of most grocery and specialty food stores. It is usually located next to the marzipan. Tightly packaged, almond paste will keep in the refrigerator for two days or in the freezer for up to three weeks.

ALMOND CAKE

makes one 8" round cake

1/2 c fine yellow cornmeal
1/2 c cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1/4 c almond paste, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 c confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
4 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/4 c sour cream

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8" round cake pan.

In a medium bow, whisk together the cornmeal, cake flour, and baking powder. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and almond paste on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the vanilla extract. Gradually add 1 1/4 c of confectioners' sugar, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat in the egg yolks and whole eggs, one at a time. Reduce the speed to medium and add the sour cream and dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake until the cake is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool. Remove the cake from the pan and dust with more confectioners' sugar. (The cake can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight in a plastic container.) Cut the cake into wedges and serve.