Easy Almond Cake

Easy. Delicious. Able to visually entertain young children. These are just a few of my requirements when baking a cake, and luckily, this almond cake adapted from Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess meets all of these requirements. I will make pretty much anything Nigella writes about, mostly because the idea of her baking a cake wearing nothing but an apron and heels is any food lover's ultimate fantasy. Luckily, I have had much delicious success with most everything so far, and I like that the British recipes tend to be more richly decadent, but less syrupy-sweet than many American versions.

You can bake this cake in any mold you want, instantly turning a drab Bundt into a work of art. A sprinkling of powdered sugar and some fresh fruit to complement the aromatic almond essence, and you have a masterpiece that will be devoured by children and adults alike in a matter of mere moments.

The recipe, after the jump.

Easy Almond Cake with Sugared Strawberries

Cake:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons marzipan or almond paste, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 large eggs

1 cup self-rising cake flour

Molded Cake Pan, buttered and floured

Sugared Strawberries:

1 cup sliced, hulled strawberries

1 tablespoon sugar

Place strawberries in a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover and allow to soak for 12-24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Chop the butter and marzipan to make them easier to break down, and put them in the bowl of the food processor, fitted with the metal blade, with the sugar. Process until combined and pretty well smooth.

Add almond and vanilla extracts, process again, then break the eggs one at a time through the funnel, processing again each time.

Mix the flour and tip down the funnel, processing yet again, and then pour the mixture into the prepared pan, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 50 minutes, but check from 40.

When the cake looks golden and cooked and a cake tester or fine skewer comes out cleanish, remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the pan before using turning out.