Almond Raisin Cake With Sherry Recipes

SHERRY-SOAKED ALMOND CAKE WITH MIXED BERRIES

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour 10-inch-diameter tube pan with 3 1/2-inch-high sides. Finely grind toasted almonds in processor. Blend in flour and baking powder. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar in large bowl until blended. Beat in almond paste a few pieces at a time. Add vanilla extract and beat until mixture resembles paste. Add 3 whole eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 3 egg yolks. Stir in dry ingredients. Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat 3 egg whites in medium bowl to soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold white into batter in 2 additions. Pour batter into prepared pan (batter will fill pan less than halfway). Bake until tester inserted near center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 1 hour. Pierce top of cake all over with wooden skewer.
• For syrup:
• Combine cream Sherry, sugar and butter in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Mix in almond extract. Let syrup stand until just cool. Brush half of syrup over cake in pan. Let cake stand 1 hour. Turn cake out onto platter. Reheat remaining syrup just until butter melts. Pierce more holes in cake. Brush syrup over cake. Let cake stand 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover cake and let stand at room temperature.) Cut cake into wedges. Garnish with dollops of sweetened whipped cream and berries and serve.

ALMOND SHERRY BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan.
• In large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, sherry, oil, pudding mix and nutmeg.
• Mix at low speed for 1 minute, scraping bowl as necessary.
• Mix at medium speed 3 minutes, again scraping bowl as necessary.
• (Or beat by hand about 5 minutes.).
• Pour half the batter into bundt pan.
• In a medium bowl mix first 4 streusel filling ingredients until crumbly.
• Sprinkle evenly over batter in bundt pan.
• Pour in remaining cake batter.
• Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack 15 minutes.
• Unmold from pan and cool completly on rack.
• To make the glaze, mix together the sugar, butter and sherry.
• Add hot water slowly until desired consistency.
• Brush completely cooled cake with sherry glaze and garnish with almond slices.