Cherry Almond Torte Recipes

CHERRY-ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Move oven rack to lowest position (remove other racks). Heat oven to 350°F. Make cake mix as directed on box, using cold water and adding almond extract with the water. Pour into ungreased 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan.
• Bake 37 to 47 minutes or until top is dark golden brown and cracks feel very dry and not sticky. Do not underbake. Immediately turn pan upside down onto glass bottle until cake is completely cool, about 2 hours.
• Run knife around edges of cake; remove from pan. Cut cake to make 2 layers. (To cut, mark side of cake with toothpicks and cut with long serrated knife.)
• On serving plate, place bottom layer. Spoon 2/3 cup of the marshmallow creme by heaping teaspoonfuls onto bottom layer. Spoon 1 cup of the pie filling between spoonfuls of marshmallow creme. Sprinkle with half of the almonds. Place other layer on top. Spoon remaining marshmallow creme and pie filling on top of cake, allowing pie filling to drizzle down sides. Sprinkle with remaining almonds. Store covered in refrigerator.

CHERRY ALMOND TART

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, cracker crumbs and butter until crumbly. Beat in egg. Stir in chopped almonds. , Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 14-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely. , In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Spread over crust. Top with pie filling. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

SPANISH ALMOND CHERRY CAKE (TORTA DE ALMENDRAS)

Steps:

• Butter and flour an 8 or 9 inch cake tin.
• Stir together the sugar, almonds, cinnamon and flour.
• Add egg yolks, brandy and chopped cherries.
• Combine well.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the yolk mixture.
• Transfer to the prepared cake tin.
• Bake in a preheated 325°F oven for 30 minutes until the cake tests done.
• Let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes before unmolding.

CHERRY ALMOND POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and lightly flour a bundt or tube pan.
• Combine the cake mix, pie filling, almond extract, and eggs in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly by hand until well moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool on rack for 15 minutes; invert cooled cake onto serving plate. Cool completely.
• Whisk together the confectioners' sugar and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract in a small bowl. Add drops of water until glaze is drizzling consistency. Spoon glaze over cooled cake.

BROWN BUTTER ALMOND TORTE WITH SOUR CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the torte:
• In a small saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and continue to heat until golden brown with nutlike fragrance. (Bottom of pan will be covered with brown specks.) Cool butter to warm and stir in vanilla.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan, knocking out excess flour.
• In a food processor finely grind whole almonds with flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until they hold soft peaks. Add remaining 1/3 cup sugar gradually, beating until meringue just holds stiff peaks. Fold in nut mixture gently but thoroughly. Fold in butter gently but thoroughly (batter will deflate) and spread in pan.
• Sprinkle top of batter evenly with sliced almonds and bake torte in middle of oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until it begins to pull away from side of pan and a tester comes out clean.
• Cool torte in pan on a rack 15 minutes and invert onto rack. Flip torte right side up and cool completely. (Torte may be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.)
• Serve cake with sauce.
• To make the sauce:
• Working over a heavy saucepan pit cherries. In pan bring cherries, sugar, and water to a boil. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to sauce, stirring. Simmer sauce 2 minutes and cool to room temperature. (Sauce may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring sauce to room temperature before serving.) Makes about 3 cups.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE-ALMOND TORTE WITH CHERRY PRESERVES AND KIRSCH MERINGUE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake: Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Whisk together cocoa and boiling water until cocoa dissolves and mixture is smooth. Stir in kirsch.
• Beat butter and 1 cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time, scraping down sides of bowl between additions. Add cocoa mixture and almonds, and beat until combined. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Whisk egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the clean bowl of a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With machine running, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold one-quarter of the whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites.
• Pour batter into pan, and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and cover cake with parchment-lined foil. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 45 minutes. Run a knife or an offset spatula around edge of cake to loosen, and release sides of pan to remove.
• Make the meringue: Whisk egg whites and sugar in a clean heatproof bowl of a mixer set over a pan of simmering water until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form. Whisk in kirsch. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
• Spread cherry preserves on top of cake. Spread meringue over preserves using an offset spatula, making decorative swirls. Caramelize peaks of meringue using a handheld kitchen torch or under the broiler.

CHERRY ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F
• Grease bottoms only of two 9-inch round cake pans with shortening or cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed just until combined; beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour and spread batter evenly into pans.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks.
• Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, mix pie filling and cornstarch.
• Cook over medium heat about 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.
• Remove from heat to cool.
• In medium bowl, beat whipping cream on high speed until soft peaks form.
• Beat in cream cheese spread until fluffy.
• Reserve 1/2 cup whipped cream mixture for garnish.
• Stir almonds into remaining cream mixture.
• With serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half horizontally.
• To assemble torte, place 1 half cake layer on serving plate; spread with 1 cup almond cream.
• Top with second half layer; spread with 1 cup cherry mixture.
• Top with third half layer; spread with 1 cup almond cream.
• Place remaining half layer on top.
• Spoon remaining cherry mixture on top of torte, spreading almost to edge.
• Frost side of torte with remaining 1 1/4 cups almond cream.
• Spoon reserved 1/2 cup whipped cream mixture into decorating bag with large star tip.
• Pipe cream around top edge of torte. Refrigerate about 2 hours before serving.
• Store in refrigerator.

CHERRY-ALMOND STREUSEL TART

Steps:

• Press pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom; trim edges., In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in cherries; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in extract. Pour into crust., For topping, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar and almonds. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.