Chez Panisse Almond Cake

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

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup almond paste (not marzipan)
• 10 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 325 degrees and position the rack to the center of the oven.
• 2 line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with a round of parchment paper, or butter the pan and dust it lightly with flour, tapping out any excess.
• 3 with an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and almond paste until the paste is finely broken up (the sugar crystals helps break the paste into pieces-so don't add the butter yet!) 3.
• 4 now add the butter and beat for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
• 5 in a separate bowl, or a measuring cup with a spout, stir together the eggs with a fork then dribble it into the batter as you beat.
• 6 add the vanilla.
• 7 mix together the flour, baking soda and salt with a whisk.
• 8 stir the dry ingredients into the batter until just incorporated.
• 9 transfer the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• 10 the baking time may take a but longer due to the variation in different brands of almond paste.
• 11 cool the cake on a rack before serving.
• 12 this cake is extremely moist and will keep well for up to a week if well-wrapped.