Almond Magic Cake

It’s been a long time since I’ve been so obsessed with a recipe.  I pinned it years ago, and somehow forgot about it, though the idea was fascinating.  Then over winter break this year I stumbled back across it and knew I had to give it a try.  So behold, almond magic cake.

Because I did make one major change to the recipe.  The original is for a vanilla cake, but my M.O. in life is, why make something vanilla when it can be almond-flavored instead??

This cake is really easy to throw together, and yields the most amazing, creamy, custardy, flan-y cake.  I ended up making it again a few days later, in a gluten-free version (to be posted here later once I’ve perfected it).  Give this a try, you won’t be disappointed!

Preheat oven to 325 F.  Grease an 8×8 baking dish, or line it with parchment paper so that it’s easier to get the cake out.

Separate the eggs (make sure you don’t get any yolk in with the whites!), then beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the melted butter, vanilla, and almond extract, and continue beating for another minute or two.  Then you can add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.  Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together.

In a separate bowl and using a hand mixer (or if you have a totally separate mixer that’s cool, but it has to be completely clean), add the egg whites and mix until stiff peaks form—you can see the peaks in the pic above…they should stay on their own, that’s when you know it’s done.

Add the whipped egg whites to the cake batter and gently fold them in.  Make sure you don’t fold the egg whites in completely, you still want to see some of the white bits floating at the top.  Then pour the batter into your prepared baking dish.

Bake at 325 F for 40 to 70 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and there’s still just a bit of jiggle when you shake it.

Yes, this is an insane time range, but the baking time really can vary greatly depending on the oven, so take a peek at around 40 minutes and see how it looks.  For me, 40-50 minutes is about perfect.

Let it cool completely before serving.  I prefer it to be cold (like cold custard or pudding), so I put mine in the fridge.  In fact, you could make it the night before.  Make sure to keep any leftovers in the fridge as well.

I’m definitely obsessed and kind of fascinated with the science!

Other almond-flavored goodness you’ll love:

• Cherry Almond Scones
• Almond Pavlova With Balsamic Berries & Whipped Cream
• Lemon Almond Apricot Mascarpone Tart
• Almond Cherry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Almond Magic Cake

Yield: 9 slices

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

This easy and fascinating cake "magically" separates into three distinct layers out of one batter.

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Ingredients

• 4 eggs room temperature---separate yolks from whites!
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of almond extract
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup of almond meal or flour
• 2 cups of lukewarm milk
• Optional: powdered sugar for dusting cake

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.  Grease an 8x8 baking dish, or line it with parchment paper so that it's easier to get the cake out.
2. Separate the eggs (make sure you don't get any yolk in with the whites!).
3. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the melted butter, vanilla, and almond extract, and continue beating for another minute or two.  Then you can add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.
4. Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together.
5. In a separate bowl and using a hand mixer (or if you have a totally separate mixer that's cool, but it has to be completely clean), add the egg whites and mix until stiff peaks form.
6. Add the whipped egg whites to the cake batter and gently fold them in.  Make sure you don't fold the egg whites in completely, you still want to see some of the white bits floating at the top.
7. Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish and bake for 40 to 70 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and it just has a little wiggle when you shake it. Yes, this is an insane range, but the baking time could vary greatly depending on the oven, so take a peek at around 40 minutes and see how it looks.  For me, 40-50 minutes is about perfect.
8. Let it cool completely before serving.  I prefer it to be cold (like cold custard or pudding), so I put mine in the fridge.  Store leftovers in the fridge as well.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 262

Original recipe from JO Cooks

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