Almond Cake

Thursday I went out with a dear friend and we spent most of the day together. We went shopping in a local supermarket and we had lunch. Such a great time! Yesterday I met another friend and we spent the afternoon in the mall, peering in the windows announcing the winter sales and of course, we chatted a lot. I just loved my last two days!

So yesterday I went home wondering why I don't do it very often. I always was a person of few but good friends, so along the way decided that I will do everything possible to enjoy moments like these, they are really invigorate and make me very happy!

Well life here is a delight! Every day is a learning experience, I learn a new word, or some aspect of Canadian culture ... life goes on, and it is very good! I miss few things about Brazil, but when it comes to family and friends .... the conversation changes. I miss so much the loved ones who are there, the conversations, the weekends surrounded by family and good food ... well, I miss them! Luckily we can communicate, we can see each other by skype and, despite the distance, we have received several visits from friends and family and we love to show some of our life here for them and have a great time with them.

Then today with some of that nostalgia in the air, I woke up thinking of a dear friend and my desire was to call her, make an afternoon snack and give a big hug in her. As the distance does not allow me, after lunch I decide to bake a cake that I'm sure she would love. I've done this cake several times and it is always very good, but today was different. Maybe it was the affection put into, but the cake was much better. The batter was lighter, more moist ... well, I think this special "ingredient" made all the difference.

I ate a slice of cake in the late afternoon accompanied with strawberries and a cup of tea. She was not here to talk with me, but after eating this tasty cake my heart was even more warm and in a way, I felt that despite the distance, she is not far away, she is here with me ...

Bon appétit!

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Baking time: Between 45 to 65 minutes
Makes 25cm cake
Recipe from the awesome David Lebovitz

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups (265g) sugar
225g almond paste
3/4, plus 1/4 cup (140g total) flour
1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
6 large eggs, at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 162°C (325°F). Grease a 25 cm cake or spring form pan with butter, line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, then dust it with flour and tap out any excess.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, grind the sugar, almond paste, and 1/4 cup (35g) of flour until the almond paste is finely ground and the mixture resembles sand.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup (105g) of flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside
4. Once the almond paste is completely broken up, add the cubes of butter and the vanilla and almond extracts, then process until the batter is very smooth and fluffy.
5.  Add the eggs one at a time, processing a bit before the next addition. After you add all the eggs, the mixture may look curdled. Don’t worry; it’ll come back together after the next step.
6. Add half the flour mixture and pulse the machine a few times, then add the rest, pulsing the machine until the drying ingredients are just incorporated, but do not overmix the batter.
7.  Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake the cake for 45-60 minutes, or until the top is deep brown and feels set when you press in the center.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and run a sharp or serrated knife around the perimeter, loosing the cake from the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.

Storage: This cake will keep for four days at room temperature, well-wrapped. It can also be frozen for up to two months.