Marbleized Almond Pound Cake Food

ALMOND POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and flour a 10 to 12-cup bundt pan. Set aside.
• Use a mixer to cream the butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
• Add the eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
• Add the dry ingredients and the milk to the mixture, alternately. Start with 1/3 of the dry, then half the milk, another 1/3 of the dry, the other 1/2 of the milk, then the remaining dry. Mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
• Add the vanilla and almond extracts. For lots of almond flavor, add 3 teaspoons. For less, only add 2. Mix to combine.
• Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Bake times may vary. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then place a plate or platter over the pan and invert to turn the cake out onto the plate. Allow to cool completely.
• To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, almond extract, and milk together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the cooled pound cake and sprinkle the almonds over the top.

ALMOND POUND CAKE WITH LEMON

Steps:

• Using a tablespoon or so of the almond oil, lightly oil the bottom of an 8-inch cake pan. Line with a round of parchment, lightly oil this with another tablespoon or so of the oil and then dust with flour shaking out the excess.
• With an electric mixer beat the butter, remaining oil (you should have around 1/3 cup) and sugar together until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the almond paste, lemon zest and juice and beat until smooth. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Fold in the flour and baking powder.
• Pour batter in prepared pan and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a cake tester comes out nearly clean. While cake is baking, combine glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and over moderate heat stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• When cake is done, cool on a rack for 15 minutes and then turn cake out to cool completely. Transfer cake, topside up to a plate and brush glaze over the top so that it soaks in completely. Cake can be made up to 2 days ahead. Wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.

MARBLEIZED ALMOND POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Butter and flour 2 (9 x 5 x 3-inch) loaf pans and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• With an electric mixer cream the butter with 1/4 cup of the sugar and beat until it looks light and fluffy. Add the almond paste a bit at a time and continue to beat until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Add the yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla.
• Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Add the remaining sugar, a tablespoonful at a time, until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Fold one quarter of the beaten whites into the butter/almond paste mixture, then fold that lightened mixture back into the remaining egg whites, sprinkling and adding in flour as you fold. Add melted chocolate, cutting through the batter with rubber spatula to marble the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake; the cakes should be golden brown and pull away from sides of the pan. Let them set in the loaf pans for 15 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges and loosen the cakes onto a rack to cool completely.