Almond cake on a shortcrust base

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Today I want to share a simple recipe that will fill your homes with a pleasant aroma. This time we'll prepare an almond cake on a shortcrust base.


Buttery, lightly vanilla base goes perfectly with the flavourful almond cake that will caress your mouth with a pleasant taste. The sweetness of both layers is balanced by lightly sour jam, while almond flakes not only decorate the cake, but are also pleasantly crispy.

You'll find the list of ingredients, method and approximate nutritional value below.

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List of ingredients (18 x 28 cm baking tin)

Shortcrust base

  • 225 g (~ 1.5 cup) flour
  • 75 g (~ 3/8 cup) sugar 
  • 150 g butter
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste

Almond layer

  • 180 g butter
  • 180 g sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 180 g  ground almonds

Also

  • 200 g tart jam, such as raspberry, cherry or plum
  • 40 g almond flakes

Method

  1. Put 225 g wheat flour, 75 g white sugar, 1/2 tsp baking powder and a small pinch of salt into a large bowl. Stir through the dry ingredients shortly with a whisk, only until everything gets evenly distributed in flour.
  2. Add 150 g cold, cubed butter to mixed dry ingredients. Rub fat into flour with your fingertips until you achieve wet sand consistency. On a warmer day, consider using a kitchen robot, a confectionery knife of a regular knife instead of your fingertips. Choose the method that will not warm up the butter too much.
  3. Add one large egg yolk and a tsp of vanilla paste to the dough. Stir through the contents of the bowl shortly with a wooden spoon until flour absorbs most of moisture, and knead the dough by hand until compact and uniform.
  4. Tear the dough into small pieces and transfer them into a baking tin lined with baking paper, 18 x 28 cm. Try to arrange the dough as evenly as possible and press it down to make a thick, even base layer. Prick the base with a fork next to create holes that will allow steam to escape. This will prevent the cake from cracking during the initial bake. Put the baking tin into a fridge for 30 minutes to cool.
  5. Bake the base next in an oven preheated to 180 deg C, no fan, for around 10 minutes, until it becomes lightly golden. The base does not need to be baked through at this point. Take the baking tin out of the oven after 10 minutes and set it aside to cool as you prepare the almond layer.
  6. Put 180 g soft butter into a large bowl and add 180 g fine white sugar. Cream the contents of the bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy batter forms, and the sugar dissolves completely. Both butter and eggs you're using here should be at room temperature, so remember to take them out of a fridge at least an hour ahead. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula from time to time. It will ensure all ingredients combine as they should.
  7. Add 3 large eggs to the almond batter. Do it slowly, an egg at a time, and cream the batter well before adding the next one. Once you've used up all eggs pour in a bit of almond extract. Mix the batter shortly, only to distribute the extract, and set the mixer aside. The batter may look as if it was splitting at this point. It's normal, and it should come together after you've added almonds.
  8. Add 180 g ground almonds to the batter and mix them in with a spatula or a mixer. There is no risk of overmixing the batter here, so choose the method you like the most.
  9. Set the batter aside and return to the cool shortcrust base. Put around 200 g lightly sour jam on top of the base and spread it in an even layer. Pour almond batter on top and spread it with a spatula. Scatter almond flakes on top.
  10. Bake the cake in an oven preheated to 180 deg C, no fan, for around 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean. There is a lot of sugar and fat in the batter, so it will brown quickly; it is worth covering it with a piece of baking paper or aluminum foil after 20-30 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven after 40 minutes and set it aside in the baking tin to cool. An hour or two should be enough.
  11. Enjoy!

Approximate nutritional value

100 g

  • 461 kcal
  • Carbs: 42 g
  • Fat: 31 g
  • Protein: 8 g
  • Fibre: 3 g 

1 slice (recipe makes 16 slices)

  • 383 kcal
  • Carbs: 34 g
  • Fat: 25 g
  • Protein: 6 g
  • Fibre: 2 g

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