Burnt Almond Cake Food

BURNT ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lin the bottoms of two 8-inch round baking pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites (save the yolks for the pastry cream!), egg, buttermilk, vanilla, and almond extract, then set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter one piece at a time, while the mixer is running on low speed, waiting 10 seconds between each addition.
• Once all the butter is added, pour in the buttermilk and egg mixture in 3 batches, mixing on medium-low speed between each addition for about 1 minute and scraping the sides of the bowl. The batter should be light and fluffy. Once all of the liquid has been added, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl well and mix for another 20 to 30 seconds.
• Divide the batter evenly between the pans, then bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting the cakes onto cooling racks and removing the parchment paper from the bottoms. Flip the cakes back over and cool completely on the wire racks.
• Level the tops of the cakes, then slice in half horizontally and wrap each cake layer with plastic wrap and chilling in the freezer for at least an hour before frosting.
• In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine the milk, cream, and half of the sugar, stirring occasionally until the liquid comes to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining sugar, salt, cornstarch, and egg yolks in a medium bowl until light and creamy.
• Once the milk mixture is hot, slowly whisk 1 cup of the hot liquid into the egg mixture to temper the yolks. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the hot milk mixture and reduce the heat to medium, continuing to cook while whisking constantly for about 30-60 seconds, until thickened and a few bubbles burst on the surface.
• Remove the pastry cream from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla, and almond extract, then transfer to a bowl and cover with a piece of plastic wrap placed directly onto the surface of the pastry cream so a skin doesn't form. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 3 hours.
• Combine the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Be careful not to let the bowl touch the water. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot (between 140-160 degrees F is enough to kill any bacteria in the egg whites and dissolve the sugar).
• Transfer the bowl on the stand mixer and whip the sugar and egg whites on high using the whisk attachment until thick and glossy, forming stiff peak and the bowl feels room temperature to the touch, which can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. The stiff peaks will form fairly quickly, but just let the mixer keep working to help bring the temperature of the meringue down. This can be done with a hand mixer, but it's much easier with a stand version.
• Once the bowl is no longer warm to the touch, decrease the speed to medium-low and add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Once all of the butter has been beaten in to the meringue, mix in the vanilla and almond extracts and salt.
• If the frosting looks curdled or clumpy, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until smooth. Or if the frosting is too runny and thin, stick it in the fridge for 10 minutes to help it set up a bit, then whip it again. This is a problem I've encountered because I didn't let my meringue cool down enough before adding the butter, but the fridge fix worked great.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the nuts onto the baking sheet in an even layer and toast them in the oven while you prepare the caramel. Be careful to watch them so they don't actually burn. They should just start to turn a light, toasty brown and smell nutty.
• Combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Insert a candy thermometer and let the mixture boil without stirring until it reaches 310 degrees F, then remove from the heat and stir in the butter and toasted almonds immediately.
• Pour the caramelized nuts back onto the foil-lined baking sheet and use a spatula to spread them into as thin a layer as possible, trying not to have too many overlapping nuts. Cool completely, then break apart, chopping large chunks if necessary.
• Place the bottom layer of cake on a cake stand and pipe a ring of the Swiss meringue buttercream around the edge to create a barrier for holding in the pastry cream. Scoop 1/3 of the pastry cream onto the cake and spread it out to fill in the space inside the ring of buttercream. Repeat with the remaining cake and pastry cream to create a 4-layer cake with 3 layers of pastry cream.
• Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining Swiss meringue buttercream. Press the almonds into the sides of the cake, letting excess almonds fall back onto the baking sheet below so they can be reused on top. Fill in gaps as needed with the almonds that fell off until the sides and top of the cake are covered.

COPYCAT OF PRANTL'S BURNT ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans.
• For the cake:
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together into a bowl and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the speed to medium-low. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating 30 seconds between additions.
• Add alternating increments of the flour mixture and buttermilk and vanilla, blending well after each addition; this should take about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool in pans, on wire racks, for 10 minutes, unmold the cakes and let cool completely.
• Note: The cake recipe makes two 8-inch round cake layers. Only one is used for this recipe.
• To make the brittle:
• Combine the granulated sugar, honey and water in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
• Boil, without stirring, until the mixture turns a deep amber color, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the toasted almonds, butter and baking soda.
• Mix with a wooden spoon just until the butter melts and the foaming subsides.
• Pour the mixture into a nonstick or lightly greased baking sheet and set aside to cool.
• Once the brittle has hardened, break it up and crush to fine crumbs in a food processor.
• Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• To make the custard cream:
• In a heavy saucepan over medium- low heat, heat milk to barely simmering.
• Meanwhile, combine egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to blend smoothly.
• Stir the heated milk into the egg mixture; return mixture to saucepan.
• Bring back to a boil, over medium-low heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute.
• Remove pan from heat; add butter and vanilla, stirring to melt the butter.
• Transfer custard to a bowl; place a piece of waxed paper directly on top to prevent a crust from forming and refrigerate until cold.
• Whip the cream and confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Fold into the chilled custard and refrigerate until ready to use.
• To assemble cake:
• Cut the cake in half horizontally.
• Place one layer on a cake plate, spread cake with cold custard cream and sprinkle with brittle crumbs.
• Cover with the remaining layer of cake.
• Spread the remaining custard cream over cake, applying a thinner coat to the sides, then the top.
• Chill for at least 1 hour before garnishing.
• To garnish, press brittle crumbs onto the sides of the cake with the palm of your hand and sprinkle a layer of crumbs on the top. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Note: To toast nuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking pan. Bake in a 375-degree oven until golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. Allow nuts to cool before using.

A BETTER BURNT ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the French Vanilla cake mix according to package directions for 2 eight, or 2 nine inch, round cake pans. Remove from pans, allow cakes to cool completely.
• While cakes are cooling, spread 1 cup of sliced almonds on a dry baking sheet. Please in the oven at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes. These almonds will burn in an instant. Check almonds progress after 5 minutes and then each minute there after. You are looking for a nice golden brown. Set aside to cool.
• DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE ONCE YOU START THIS PROCESS. To make the brittle: Combine sugar, honey and water in a heavy bottom pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Using a heat resistant rubber spatula, stir gently to dissolve the sugar. Continue to boil over medium heat without stirring for about 8-10 minutes. Mixture will darken to a rich amber color.
• Remove the pot from the heat and quickly stir in the butter, toasted almonds, and baking soda with the rubber spatula until butter has melted and baking soda is well combined.
• CAUTION! This liquid brittle is over 300 degrees at this point. Pour the liquid brittle on to a baking sheet that has been sprayed with a coating of nonstick butter flavored spray. Allow brittle to completely cool on a counter top until rock hard.
• Once hardened, break up the brittle in small pieces and place into a food processor. Process in small batches until the brittle has become a fine crumb consistency. *If you do not have a processor, use a blender or place in a freezer bag and beat to death with a rolling pin :) Keep in mind that any chunks in the crumbs will be very unpleasant and hard to chew in the finished cake.
• Simple Syrup: In a small pot add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes stirring to make sure all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and add 1/2 tsp almond extract,1 tbsp Torani vanilla syrup. Set aside to cool.
• Make the Pastry Pride icing according to package directions. It is as simple as placing the ice cold contents in the bowl of your mixer and whipping to stiff peaks; adding sugar to taste. I find most people prefer little to no sugar added.
• Using a long serrated knife, slice each of the two cakes in half, horizontally. With a pastry brush, brush all layers on their cut side with the simple syrup. Place 1 cup of frosting between each layer, followed by a ¼ cup of the brittle crumbs on top of each layer of frosting. Repeat with each layer until you have 4 layers, one on top of the other, (cake, frosting, crumbs.) completed. Use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake.
• Press the toasted almond slices onto the sides, all the way around the perimeter of the cake. Top off the cake with a layer of the remaining brittle crumbs. Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours before serving. Overnight is optimal.
• Refrigerate leftovers (if there are any). The cake will improve in flavor over the next day or 2 as everything soaks in and melds.

BURNT ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans.
• For the cake: Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together into a bowl and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the speed to medium-low.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating 30 seconds between additions.
• Add alternating increments of the flour mixture and buttermilk and vanilla, blending well after each addition; this should take about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool in pans, on wire racks, for 10 minutes, unmold the cakes and let cool completely.
• Note: The cake recipe makes two 8-inch round cake layers.
• Only one is used for this recipe.
• To make the brittle: Combine the granulated sugar, honey and water in a medium-sized saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
• Boil, without stirring, until the mixture turns a deep amber color, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the toasted almonds, butter and baking soda.
• Mix with a wooden spoon just until the butter melts and the foaming subsides.
• Pour the mixture into a nonstick or lightly greased baking sheet and set aside to cool.
• Once the brittle has hardened, break it up and crush to fine crumbs in a food processor.
• Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• To make the custard cream: In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, heat milk to barely simmering.
• Meanwhile, combine egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a medium mixing bowl.
• Whisk to blend smoothly.
• Stir the heated milk into the egg mixture; return mixture to saucepan.
• Bring back to a boil, over medium-low heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute.
• Remove pan from heat; add butter and vanilla, stirring to melt the butter.
• Transfer custard to a bowl; place a piece of waxed paper directly on top to prevent a crust from forming and refrigerate until cold.
• Whip the cream and confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Fold into the chilled custard and refrigerate until ready to use.
• To assemble cake: Cut the cake in half horizontally.
• Place one layer on a cake plate, spread cake with cold custard cream and sprinkle with brittle crumbs.
• Cover with the remaining layer of cake.
• Spread the remaining custard cream over cake, applying a thinner coat to the sides than the top.
• Chill for a least 1 hour before garnishing.
• To garnish, press brittle crumbs onto the sides of the cake with the palm of your hand and sprinkle a layer of crumbs on the top.
• Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Note: To toast nuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking pan.
• Bake in a 375F oven until golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Allow nuts to cool before using.

BURNT ALMONDS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a large heavy based frying pan.
• Stir over a high heat and keep stirring until eventually the water is absorbed and the almonds are coated in white sugar.
• It is important to keep stirring and gradually the sugar caramelizes, turning to toffee, hence the "burnt" almonds. If you leave them on the heat after this they really will be burnt.
• As soon as all of the sugar has turned to toffee, tip them out onto a large sheet of baking paper (silicon coated paper) laid out on your kitchen bench. It is useful to have a helper at this stage to help spread them out a bit. This makes them easier to snap apart later.
• When cool, break them apart and store in an airtight container.