French Almond Cake with Green Tea Honey Glaze
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • ½ cup butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup white granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup blanched almonds (I prefer the flavor and texture of freshly ground almonds but you can substitute 1 cup blanched almond meal)
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 egg whites
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 2 teaspoons quality pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon quality almond extract
  • ½ cup cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup concentrated quality green tea (brewed with 6 or more tea bags), decaf or regular
  • 3 tablespoons honey
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x2 inch round pan or a 8x8 inch square pan.
  2. (Skip blanching process if using pre-ground almond meal) To blanch the almonds, pour boiling water over them to cover. Let them sit for about 5 minutes or until the peels slip off easily. Discard the peels and let the almonds air dry for a few hours. Grind the almonds with ¼ of the sugar.
  3. Cream the butter and ½ cup of sugar until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating until the mixture is pale and fluffy, another 3-4 minutes. Add the vanilla and almond extract and beat just until combined. Fold in the ground almond mixture.
  4. Beat the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl on medium high speed until foamy, then add the cream of tartar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
  5. Sift the cake flour and baking powder into a small bowl.
  6. Fold in ⅓ of the egg whites, then ⅓ of the flour mixture. Repeat with the remaining egg whites and flour. Be very careful not to over-stir.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
  8. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Be careful not to over-bake.
  9. Remove the cake from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Carefully invert the cake and the place top side up on a cake platter.
  10. Poke some small holes around the top of the cake with a toothpick to allow the glaze to fully absorb.
  11. To make the glaze, place the green tea and honey in a small saucepan and heat until the honey is dissolved, then remove from the heat.
  12. Pour the glaze over the cake and let the cake sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
NOTE ON GREEN TEA: When brewing the green tea, use very hot, but not boiling water. Boiling water will turn the green tea very bitter. Also be sure to steep for no more than 3 minutes, as longer will likewise turn the tea bitter.
Recipe by The Daring Gourmet at https://www.daringgourmet.com/french-almond-cake-with-green-tea-honey-glaze/