Almond Coffee Cake W/ Amaretto Glaze

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• 4 ounces almond paste (i use marzipan)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup low-fat milk
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup sliced toasted almond
• confectioners' sugar (optional)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup amaretto (see note)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• 2 generously grease and flour a tube pan.
• 3 you can also use a 9x5-inch loaf pan, a 9-inch springform pan, bundt or kugelhupf cake mold.
• 4 cake: in a bowl, cream the almond paste with sugar and butter.
• 5 as the almond paste breaks up, add the vanilla, eggs and milk.
• 6 blend well and fold in the flour, salt, baking powder and cornstarch to make a thick but fluffy batter.
• 7 if serving cake bottom side up, sprinkle the almonds into the bottom of the pan here.
• 8 spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
• 9 sprinkle the almonds on top, otherwise.
• 10 bake 50-55 minutes.
• 11 the cake should be evenly golden brown and slightly cracked.
• 12 when completely cool, dust with the confectioners' sugar, if using.
• 13 or, alternatively, poke holes into the top of the cake and drizzle on the amaretto glaze.
• 14 (i used the glaze, and then dusted confectioners' sugar on top.).
• 15 glaze: stir together the water and sugar in a small saucepan.
• 16 set on low heat to dissolve the sugar.
• 17 stir in the liqueur, heat for 2-3 minutes more.
• 18 cool slightly.
• 19 note: you can replace the liqueur with an additional 1/4 cup water combined with 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.