Almond Cake Surprise

When I asked my director at work what he'd like for a birthday treat, he sent me a link to one of Giada's almond cake recipes. I thought, hey, no problem! Consider it done! Then I realized that I'd need to double the recipe and then I couldn't find almond paste at the regular grocery store and then...well, so here is my version that is inspired by Giada's!

Almond Cake with Vanilla Glaze

• 1 cup fine cornmeal (I used Alber's)
• 1 cup cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup finely ground almonds
• 1-2 tsp pure almond extract
• 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 eggs
• 6 egg yolks (yes, you read this correctly!)
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10" springform pan.

Beat together butter, almonds and almond extract on high until smooth. Reduce the speed and slowly add powdered sugar, mixing until fluffy. With the mixer on high gradually add the vanilla extract, eggs and egg yolks and mix until well combined. Reduce speed and add sour cream along with all dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated but do not overstir!

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth off the top. Place on the lower rack of your preheated oven to bake. Bake for at least 45 minutes - cake should be golden, slightly pulling away from the edges of the pan and pass the toothpick test. As a side note, I didn't do this last part which resulted in a cake that wasn't fully baked and fell somewhat flat after removing it from the oven. Don't be like me!

Cool cake completely and remove outer ring to springform pan. Spread vanilla glaze over the top of the cooled cake, let it harden up a little bit and then dust with some extra powdered sugar. This may not be a winner in the looks department but the taste is said to be divine.

Note: I think that using ground almonds and almond extract provides a more authentic flavor than using almond paste. I know some people have made their own paste with almonds and marzipan but, not being a fan of marzipan, I took the more obvious route. If this makes too large of a cake for you, just half the recipe and use a 8 or 9-inch cake pan instead.

Florence's Red Velvet Cake

If you've ever lived in the South for any length of time, you've eaten red velvet cake. I hear tell that it's even served in kids' school lunches! I got this classic recipe from my grandma, Florence Williamson, a West Virginia woman through and through. Simple, tasty and not in the least bit dry, it's a great choice for larger family gatherings and potlucks.

CAKE

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup plain yogurt or 1 cup milk with 1 T. lemon juice or vinegar
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable or peanut oil
• 2 T. cocoa powder
• 1/2-1 oz. red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat all ingredients together except for food coloring until all lumps are gone. Add food coloring slowly (you don't want red splatters on the wall!) and mix until completely incorporated. Grease a 13x9x2 baking pan and pour batter into pan. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out of the center cleanly. Cool completely.

ICING

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 box powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

Beat all ingredients together until smooth. Spread onto cooled cake and refrigerate until ready to serve. It's best to store this cake in the fridge due to the cream cheese frosting but don't worry about having it out for a couple hours at an event - it'll be fine! I've also added frozen coconut flakes to the frosting for a little extra flavor. Another fun variation is to make the cake blue or green instead but that's a little too radical for some people!

What was left of my most recent red velvet cake once my coworkers had gotten to it. I think they liked it...

Welcome to Bakers Anonymous!

This recipe blog serves a simple purpose - it is a clearing house for culinary successes! These recipes have been handed down through the generations, gleaned from various cookbooks and enhanced through countless hours of experimentation. Whether we're talking about baking or cooking, healthy or fatty food, sweet or savory, there's a place for a little bit of everything here. I call these delights anything but ordinary. Join us in our quest for the perfect collection of recipes and feel free to comment to your heart's content!