Almond Cake

Get ready to LOVE this dessert. I couldn't get enough of it, and people at work are still (2 weeks later) requesting that I bring more in. It's pretty easy to make and like I said, you won't be able to get enough.

In a small sauce pan add the water and butter and bring to a boil.  While that's cooking, add the flour and sugar into a mixing bowl.

Pour the boiling water and butter mixture into the flour and sugar mixture. Beat well and add the baking soda, almond extract and sour cream.

Mix in the eggs, and beat again scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Pour the batter into a 9x13 inch baking pan, and bake at 375 degrees F for around 20 minutes until the middle is set.  Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for another 20 minutes until you start the icing.

For the icing, bring the butter and milk to boil in a small sauce pan.    

Add the remaining ingredients to a large mixing bowl.  Once the milk and butter and boiling, pour the mixture into the mixing bowl and mix well.  Add more powdered sugar if you need a thicker consistency.  Pour onto cake and let sit for 20 minutes to harden.  

Serve with ice cream or fresh fruit, I chose raspberries and I think it was the perfect addition.  The cake is moist, and I love the almond flavor in the icing and the cake itself.  

Enjoy!

Almond Cake

Serves 10

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Cake:

1 cup butter

1 cup water

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup sour cream

2 whole eggs

Icing:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

Cake:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small sauce pan, bring the water and butter to a boil.

While that is heating, add the flour and sugar into a mixing bowl.

Pour the water into the flour and sugar mixture and beat well.

Add the baking soda, almond extract and sour cream.

Then add the eggs and mix well.

Pour the batter into a 9x13 inch buttered pan.  

Bake for around 20 minutes until the middle is set.

Remove from the oven and let cool for another 20 minutes before starting the icing.

Icing:

Bring the butter and milk to boil in a small sauce pan.

Add the remaining ingredients to a mixing bowl.

Once the milk is boiling, pour over the mixture in the bowl and stir until mixed well.

Add more powdered sugar if it needs to be thicker.

Pour onto the cake and let sit for 20 minutes, until it hardens.

Serve with ice cream or fresh fruit.

Basic Desserts from Central Market

As I've stated many times before, one of my favorite places here in Dallas is Central Market.  I could wander around the store for hours and be content.  I also enjoy taking their cooking classes from time to time.  This time instead of a type of cuisine I decided to try the desserts class.  Hey, someone had to go otherwise the chefs would be bored with no students!

We made a couple different things, and the pictures show the steps throughout the process.  This was the start of a baked custard recipe.

We made them in ramekins (cutest thing ever if you don't have any!) and shredded some fresh nutmeg on top before baking them.

I've never seen a whole nutmeg or smelled one, and wow have I been missing out.  It's amazing and so fresh, the next time I am baking something that uses it I'm going to try using a fresh one instead of the jarred.  I'll keep you posted on that!

Baking away!  We worked hard and deserved the desserts when we were finished.

Weird how it was all women.... not.

Fresh (and huge) raspberries for the berry sauce.

For the custard we made a berry sauce and an Anglaise sauce to put on top.

They also showed us how to make designs on the plate by mixing the two.  Makes for a very beautiful presentation.

Besides putting the sauces on the custard, we used them for a bottom sauce for a sponge cake.  Very festive!

We made a ton of recipes, I'm going to share with you the berry sauce, and one other, but that's for tomorrow.  I loved the berry sauce because it was so versatile.  You could use it in so many dishes, and it would taste great in all of them.  Plus it's pretty simple.  We used it to top off the custard and for our sponge cake, but it would be great on top of brownies, ice cream, angel food cake, pancakes, waffles, or even straight out of the jar and into your mouth! 

Berry Sauce

Adapted from Central Market cooking school

3 cups frozen raspberries

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or wine, to taste

2-4 tablespoons of sugar, to taste

3-4 tablespoons super fine sugar*

In a food processor puree all ingredients until smooth.

Pour puree through a fine sieve into a bowl, and chill covered.

Sauce may be made up to two days ahead and chilled and covered. 

Serve over your favorite dish and enjoy!

*To make super fine sugar, take regular sugar and pulse it in a food processor for a few minutes.  That'll make it break down so it's super fine.