Holiday Almond Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake:
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 350 grams sweetened ground almonds
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
For the Glaze:
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 3 Tablespoons fresh milk
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
For the Topping:
• 1/2 cup flaked almonds
• 1/2 cup whole almonds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350’F. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sweetened ground almonds, vanilla and almond extract.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
3. Beating at medium speed, add flour mixture to butter-egg mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients (flour). Beat until well blended.
4. Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with baking parchment. Pour and spread batter evenly.
5. Bake 50-55 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack (about 15 minutes) remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
6. To make the glaze, combined sifted confectioner’s sugar, milk and almond extract in a bowl. Mix until smooth.
7. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and sprinkle with flaked almonds and decorate the sides with whole almonds.