Almond Pound Cake
Serves 12
20 mins prep
50 mins cook
70 mins total
This almond pound cake with a tender buttery crumb is so amazing and actually has almonds in it! Top it with a chocolate glaze and it is even more delicious. There is a secret ingredient that gives it that incredible ground almond like texture.
Cake
Apricot Glaze (optional)
Chocolate Glaze (optional, recommended)
Decoration (optional)
Cake
Prep: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 8½ x 4½ inch loaf pan and set aside. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and if needed the sides of the pan as well.
Marzipan/Almond Paste: Crumble marzipan in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water and heat in microwave for 15 to 30 seconds. Using a fork, crush it into a smooth and pliable mass, adding more water as needed.
Wet Ingredients: Using a hand mixer, whisk marzipan paste with butter at high speed until creamy. Add sugar and beat until the mixture is fluffy. Stir in vanilla and almond extract. Add eggs, one at a time and continue to beat.
Batter: Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk it into butter-sugar-egg mixture in 2 batches, beating at medium speed and adding 2 tablespoons milk in between. Then add corn starch in 2 batches, adding more milk as needed, to get a batter that has a slow dropping consistency.
Tip: Each time, fold the flour in evenly and scrape the bottom of bowl to not miss any flour. But don't over mix the batter.
Bake: Transfer cake batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake in the center rack for about 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not over-bake.
Cool: Remove the cake pan from the oven. Let it rest a few minutes and invert the cake from the baking pan onto a cooling rack and let it cool completely.
Glaze: The cake is delicious as it is but you can cover it with apricot syrup and/or add a chocolate glaze. Top with almond slices if you prefer.
Apricot Syrup (optional)
Heat the apricot jam in a small sauce pan with 1 tablespoon of water and reduce it to very thick honey like consistency. Pour it over the cake and spread it on top and sides.
Chocolate Glaze (optional)
Melt chopped chocolate in a microwave or over a double boiler. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat it for 30 seconds initially, followed by 15 second increments, stirring in between, until smooth and melted.
Stir in 2 teaspoons of coconut oil until it reaches smooth but thick consistency.
Pour the melted chocolate over the cake and spread it evenly.