Almond Cake

I have gained intense weight after this cake. 

The cake is gone, and I made it yesterday. There is no doubt that the cake is Almond, and if you don't quite understand what I am trying to say, make it and it will become explicitly clear. 

There is 7 oz. of almond paste (an ingredient I clearly don't know how to use 100% correctly and have never used before yesterday) as well as a tsp of Almond extract. I actually have never used any kind of almond flavoring before, and when a slice was presented to my girlfriend, she replied, "I love the cherry flavor in here," haha so I knew I was on the right track. 

Despite the intense almond flavor and the hap-hazard chunks of Almond paste I did not soften enough before adding to the batter (I figured that trick out after dropping rock hard chunks into the batter and hearing the clunk around the bowl), the cake is out of this world. I mean- it really is all gone. There is a distinct addictive quality to the cake, which makes it both awesome and dangerous at the same time. 

I finished the cake with toasted almonds and powdered sugar, but that all is up to you. You need to make this cake at least once, and seeing as it is cold outside, there is no time like the present to get your almond fix. 

Just to note: I opted to use a bunt pan instead of a spring form for two reasons. A) The site where I got the recipe, A.G., many people complained that the cake sunk in the middle when a spring form pan was used. B) I like crust on my pound cake type cakes, and using a bunt pan will allow more of the cake to harden up a bit. Feel free to use which ever pan you like, but I really liked how the cake turned out in the bunt pan. Just in case your wondering, the cook time is the same, so don't go opening the oven and poking holes in it like I did. You don't want that kind of sinkage. 

Almond Cake -

Adapted from Cooking For Mr. Latte

4 egg yolks

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 

1 cup sour cream, room temp

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups flour, measured after sifting

1/2 tsp salt

1 and 1/2 cups sugar

7 ounces almond paste 

1 tsp almond extract (feel free to cut this down if your scared of too much almond)

Butter heavily a bunt pan or spring form pan. Mix the sour cream with the baking soda. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light. Add in the warmed up almond paste into the butter mixture a few pieces at a time. Sift together the flour and the salt and then slowly add into the butter mixture. Blend in the sour cream mixture and the almond extract until mixed completely. Pour into the prepared pan and then bake for one hour at 350 degrees.