Almond Sponge Cake Spain Bizcocho De Almendras Food

ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.
• In a medium bowl, 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 speed to low and add vanilla extract and slowly pour in confectioners' sugar. Mix until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Raise speed to high and add the egg yolks and whole eggs, one at a time. Reduce 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 in the lower third of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool. Remove from pan and dust with confectioners' sugar.

ALMOND SPONGE CAKE - (SPAIN-BIZCOCHO DE ALMENDRAS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Grind almonds in electric blender or pound in mortar to fine paste. Beat three whole eggs and three yolks with sugar and salt until thick and light yellow.
• Fold in three egg whites beaten to stiff peak. Gradually sift in flour mixed with ground almonds.
• Fold no more than necessary to make an evenly blended mixture. Pour into 9-inch loaf pan either lined with wax paper or lightly buttered and sprinkled with flour.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes in 375F oven or until toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean.
• Invert cake over rack or wax paper sprinkled with powdered sugar.
• If you have used wax paper, cake will come out instantly; wait until it cools to remove the paper on which it baked. If you have not used wax paper, leave cake inverted in pan until cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.
• Makes one 9-inch loaf cake.

ALMOND SPONGE CAKE FILLED WITH ALMOND CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Place the sliced almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Once completely cooled, place the nuts in a small food processor, along with 1 tablespoon of the cake flour, and process until finely ground.
• Increase the oven temperature to 450°F.
• Grease a 17 inch x 12 inch jelly roll pan, line with parchment, and then grease and flour the parchment paper. Set aside.
• While eggs are still cold separate two of the eggs, placing the yolks in one large mixing bowl and the whites in another bowl.
• To the two yolks, add the additional yolk, and the two remaining eggs.
• Cover the two bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature before using.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of cake flour and the ground almonds. Set aside.
• Add 1/2 cup sugar to the yolk mixture and beat on high speed for five minutes, or until pale, thick and fluffy. At this point beat in the vanilla extract.
• Sift half the flour mixture over the egg yolk mixture and fold in gently with a rubber spatula, just until the flour is incorporated. Sift the remaining flour mixture over the batter and fold together.
• In a large clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
• Beat in one tablespoon sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold a little of the whites into the batter to lighten it, and then fold in the rest of the whites. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the cake batter with an offset spatula.
• Bake for 7 minutes or until golden brown.
• Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven invert the sponge cake onto a clean dish towel that has been sprinkled with icing sugar.
• Carefully remove the parchment paper, sprinkle the cake lightly icing sugar, and roll up the sponge, with the towel, while it is still hot and pliable.
• Place on a wire rack to cool.
• To make the cream filling place the whipping cream, vanilla extract, and sugar in a large bowl and stir to combine.
• Cover and chill the bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• When chilled, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
• Fold in 1/3 cup toasted ground almonds.
• When ready to fill, unroll the sponge, spread with the filling, and reroll.
• Transfer to a serving platter, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
• Just before serving, dust with icing sugar.

ALMOND SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Whip the egg whites till very stiff with salt and baking soda. Add the sugar a little at a time while continuously beating. Mix cornstarch and almonds. Fold into meringue. Spread batter into two circles, roughly 21 cm in diameter, on baking paper. Bake in the middle of the oven at 150 degrees Celcious for about an hour. Let cool on a grill.

ALMOND TART (TARTA DE ALMENDRAS)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 10-inch pie plate.
• In a blender, blend the sugar and lemon zest until they are well mixed. Add the almonds, and blend again until the almonds are ground fine. Add the eggs, egg yolks, and butter, and blend until all the contents are well mixed. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
• Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Scrape the batter into the pan, and smooth the top. Bake the tart on the center rack of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean but the tart is still moist. Let it cool on a wire rack.
• Spoon Sweet Basque Cream onto each plate, and set a tart wedge on top. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, and serve.
• Note: Almonds, easy to find in any supermarket, are most commonly sold raw or blanched. Buy raw almonds, if possible. Because you will be grinding the nuts, it doesn't matter whether they're whole or sliced when you buy them.

PASSOVER ALMOND SPONGE CAKE (BERT GREENE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9" springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Then butter the paper and flour the pan.
• Beat egg whites in large bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Sprinkle with salt and beat until stiff. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Combine the ground almonds, sugar, and matzo meal. Gradually add this to the egg mixture. Add the brandy and 2 tablespoons of the amaretto.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees until firm to the touch, about 1-1/4 hours. Cool completely in the pan.
• Remove sides of pan and sprinkle with remaining 4 tablespoons amaretto.