Almond Cake with Strawberries and Cream
Years ago my friend Susie served the most amazing almond cake. It was dense, sweet, and had the texture of a perfect brownie without the chocolate. This is my adaptation of the recipe.
The cake is very rich and sweet and a small sliver is perfect topped with strawberries and a little whipped cream. It is the perfect summer treat.
Macerated strawberries are just cut strawberries sprinkled with a little sugar. You let them sit a room temperature for a couple of hours and the sugar helps release the juices from the strawberries making a sauce that is the perfect complement to the sweet cake.
Almond Cake with Strawberries and Cream
1 Pound Strawberries hulled and sliced
1 1/4 Cup Sugar plus 3 teaspoons, divided
3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, melted
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
1 teaspoon Vanilla (See this recipe for homemade Vanilla.)
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
3 Tablespoons Slivered Almonds
Cooking Spray
Whipped Cream for serving
Directions:
Macerate the Strawberries:
In a medium bowl, mix sliced strawberries with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Leave at room temperature for 1-2 hours, then refrigerate.
For the Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place slivered almonds on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir. If they are not starting to brown, microwave up to 1 more minute in 20 second intervals until just beginning to brown. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, 1 1/4 cups sugar, almond extract, vanilla, and salt. Add eggs and mix well. Add Flour and mix until incorporated. Do not over mix.
Prepare a 9 inch round cake pan, by spraying with cooking spray, lining with parchment paper, and spraying over the parchment paper.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and final teaspoon of sugar. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the top is starting to brown.
Let cake cool for 10 minutes in pan, then run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a plate. Remove the parchment paper and then flip the cake over onto a cake plate or cutting board so the almonds are back on top. Cut into 12-16 slices and top each slice with macerated strawberries and whipped cream. Serve.
