M Cunninghams Almond Butter Cake Food

M. CUNNINGHAM'S ALMOND BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring regularly.
• Pour the melted butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar into a large bowl and stir until smooth.
• Crack the eggs right into the same bowl and mix until the batter is creamy and all one color.
• Add the salt, almond extract, vanilla extract, and flour and stir briskly until the batter is smooth.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
• Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter from the bowl into the greased cake pan.
• Spread it evenly in the pan.
• Sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar, then the sliced almonds, over the top of the batter.
• Put the pan on the middle rack of the oven and set the timer for 35 minutes.
• When it rings, check to see if the cake is done.
• It should be light brown on top, and when you insert a toothpick in the center, it should have a few sticky crumbs adhering to it.
• If the cake is not browned enough and the toothpick comes out too wet, put the cake back in the oven and check it again in another 10 minutes.
• When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool on a heatproof counter for at least 30 minutes.
• Cut the cake into small wedges and serve with fresh fruit.
• This cake will stay fresh for about a week and will freeze indefinitely.
• Wrap it tightly in foil, or in a plastic bag you can seal with a zip or tie.
• Storing nuts: Whenever you have leftover nuts, freeze them in a plastic bag closed tightly.
• They will keep indefinitely in the freezer.

LEMON-ALMOND BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Combine the lemon zest and juice in a nonreactive saucepan with the sugar and eggs and beat well. Add the butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens into curd. Be sure to keep scraping the bottom of the pan during the few minutes this takes you; you don't want the eggs to scramble before the curd forms. If you're the nervous type, make the curd in a heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water (the bowl shouldn't touch the water). The curd will take just a little longer to thicken, about 5 minutes. Strain the crud into a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface so a skin doesn't form. Refrigerate until cool, at least 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a springform pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter and dust it with 1 tablespoon of the flour.
• Cream the remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a large bowl with 1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Sift the remaining 1 cup flour, the baking powder, and salt together and stir into the creamed butter.
• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until they start to foam. Do not overbeat, or the cake will be tough. Add the eggs and ground almonds to the flour and butter mixture, mixing well.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Drop 8 individual tablespoons of lemon curd evenly around the outside of the cake, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Try to place the curd so there's an even amount of cake batter between each dollop of curd. Drop 3 tablespoons curd in the center. Refrigerate any remaining curd for another use (hint: breakfast toast). Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds and 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, according to taste.
• Bake until the cake is toasty brown on top and a toothpick or knife inserted into the cake comes out clean (be sure not to insert it near the curd), about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan and let cool completely on a rack.
• If serving the cake with whipped cream, add the almond liqueur to the heavy cream and beat until the cream is stiff. Sift a thin, even layer of confectioners' sugar over the top of the cake. Present the cake at the table and offer the almond whipped cream on the side.

NANA'S ALMOND BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, then blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add 1 whole egg and 2 yolks to flour mixture, reserving whites, then knead in bowl until a soft dough forms, about 5 minutes. Put 3/4 cup dough between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap and roll out into a 9 1/2-inch round, then chill 15 minutes.
• Transfer remaining dough to springform pan and cover surface with another large sheet of plastic wrap. Press dough (through plastic wrap) evenly onto bottom. Discard plastic wrap.
• Blend almond paste, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon water in a food processor until crumbled (paste may be hard). Add remaining 3 tablespoons water, a little at a time, processing until paste is smooth.
• Beat together reserved whites and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until they just hold stiff peaks, then fold in almond paste mixture gently but thoroughly.
• Spread almond mixture on top of dough in pan, tapping side of pan gently to smooth surface.
• Remove top sheet of plastic from remaining dough and cut dough into 1/2-inch-wide strips, then arrange 6 strips 1 inch apart diagonally across almond mixture. Trim ends of strips flush with edge of pan. Arrange 6 of the remaining strips 1 inch apart diagonally across first strips to form a lattice with diamond-shaped spaces. (If dough becomes too soft, chill until firm.) Repair any broken strips of dough by carefully pressing them together and trim ends of strips flush with edge of pan. Discard any remaining strips.
• Bake until pale golden, about 45 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of cake to loosen if necessary, then remove side of pan and cool cake completely, about 30 minutes.

MARION CUNNINGHAM'S COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or Bundt pan.
• Put the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat for several seconds. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and beat for 2 minutes, or until light and creamy. Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and stir with a fork to blend well. Add the flour mixture to to the butter mixture and beat until smooth. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix well.
• Spoon the batter into the pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a straw comes out clean when inserted into the center. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes in the pan. Invert onto a rack and cool a little bit before slicing. Serve warm.

ALMOND BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Combine eggs, extract and 1/4 of the sour cream in a small bowl.
• Cut butter into chunks.
• Put remaining sour cream in another small bowl.
• allow all ingredients to come to room temperature while you prepare a 9" springform pan, line bottom with parchment, grease and flour.
• You can use a 9x2" round pan as well, but it will be a bit more difficult to unmold the cake.
• Toast almonds in a 350 degree F oven for 7-8 minutes, cool then grind fine, (I use a bag and rolling pin)-- if using dry measuring cups be sure to grind first then measure.
• Sift all dry ingredients into the workbowl of your mixer and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to combine.
• Add softened butter and sour cream, mix on low to combine, scrape bowl, beat on medium (med-high for a hand mixer) for 90 seconds.
• This will aerate the cake and give it structure.
• Scrape the bowl down and in two additions add the egg mixture, beating for 20 seconds after each addition.
• Scrape the bowl one last time and give it a couple pulses.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, (rotate pan 180 degrees after 25 mins) a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean and the top of the cake will spring back when lightly pressed.
• Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes, remove sides of pan and allow to cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• Cake can be sliced and filled with chocolate ganache and/or frosted with any butter cream.
• It's delicous slightly warm with just a dusting of powdered sugar too!