Carrot Almond Cake With Brandied Whipped Cream Recipes

CARROT AND ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Finely grind the almonds in a nut grinder, coffee grinder or blender.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together the ground almonds, amaretti and baking powder. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow and creamy, and then stir in the lemon zest and almond extract. Add yolk mixture to the almond mixture, along with the grated carrots, and stir just until combined.
• In a large, clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and gently fold them into the egg mixture. Pour into the prepared pan, and bake on the middle level of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.
• Run a knife around the sides of the pan, release and transfer cake to a dish. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve at room temperature. (It keeps well at room temperature, wrapped in aluminum foil.)

CARROT ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Put the almonds and sugar in a food processor and chop as finely as possible. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Break up the ladyfingers into pieces, about an inch long, place them in the food processor and grind to a powder. Add to the almonds and sugar in the mixing bowl. Cut the carrots into pieces about an inch long, and chop in the food processor as finely as possible. Add to the bowl, mixing them well with the other ingredients.
• Add the baking powder, salt, and the Amaretto liqueur and mix well. Add the egg yolks, mixing them in until they are well distributed with the other ingredients.
• Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer or by hand until they form stiff peaks. Take a couple of tablespoons of the beaten egg whites and mix them with the ingredients in the bowl to soften the mixture a bit. Pour the rest of the egg whites onto the mixture and carefully fold them in with a rubber spatula.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a 10 inch springform pan with the butter and dust it with flour. Pour the batter into the pan, then shake the pan a bit until the batter is evenly distributed.
• Place the pan in the upper level of the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out dry when inserted into the cake.
• When the cake is cool, cut it into 8 to 12 pieces and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

CARROT-ALMOND CAKE WITH BRANDIED WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in medium bowl to blend. Whisk eggs, oil and both sugars in large bowl to blend. Mix carrots, pineapple, brandy, vanilla and orange peel into egg mixture, then mix in almonds and currants. Add dry ingredients and stir just to blend. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack; cool completely.
• Stir marmalade in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted. Brush warm marmalade over cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.) Serve cake with Brandied Whipped Cream.

BRANDY ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch round baking pan.
• Beat the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature egg yolks one at a time, allowing each egg yolk to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Pour in the flour alternately with the milk, mixing until just incorporated. Stir in the almond extract. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form in a large glass or metal mixing bowl. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the egg whites should form a sharp peak that holds its shape. Fold the egg whites into the batter; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Pour the batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 90 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. Cut any excess cake so that it is flush with the sides of the pan.
• Bring the water and 1 cup of sugar to a boil for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer, then add brandy and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes and remove from heat. Allow syrup to cool to room temperature. Prick holes in the cooled cake with a toothpick, then slowly saturate the cake with the brandy syrup.