Macaroon Cake

I love, love, LOVE anything almond flavored. So I knew I'd have to try this cake. I got the recipe from "Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Desserts" book, and like she describes in her write-up, it is light, fragrant, and has a candied outside and gooey inside in the best possible way. This was a crowd pleaser, and gone within 24 hours of making it. The only negative about this cake is that almond flour is pricey, so even though it is super easy to make and the kind of cake you could have on hand for everyday, the price of the almond flour alone makes it more of a "special occasion" cake, to me. There is no white flour or butter in the cake, so that is a plus!

1 3/4 cups almond flour
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
Grated zest of two oranges (I used dried orange zest, about a tablespoon)
4 drops almond extract (don't be tempted to use any more; this was plenty!)


Preheat oven to 350. Butter the bottom of a 9" round cake pan and line with a round of parchment. Butter the parchment. Dust the pan with flour and shake out the excess.

With an electric mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until pale and thick. Add zest and almond extract, followed by the almond flour, mixing very well.

Use clean beaters to beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold them into the yolk and almond mixture until well combined, being careful not to deflate the batter.

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake 40 minutes, or until cake feels firm to the touch. Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan on a rack.

          

Again, the photos don't do it justice but this cake was perfect.