Little Burnt Honey Almond Cakes Recipes

LITTLE BURNT HONEY & ALMOND CAKES

Steps:

• Put the butter and honey in a small saucepan and cook over a medium-high heat for 2-3 mins until the butter foams and the mixture turns a mahogany colour.
• Whisk the egg, sugar and the honey and butter mixture together in a large bowl. Stir in the flour, almonds, baking powder and a pinch of sea salt to make a batter. Can be used straightaway or kept in the fridge overnight.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and butter four holes of a muffin tin. Divide the mixture between the holes and bake for 12-14 mins until golden and cooked through. Turn out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool for a few minutes. Dust with icing sugar, if you like, and serve with hot chocolate espresso sauce (see 'goes well with', below).

ALMOND HONEYCOMB CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Thoroughly butter a 12 1/4-by-11 2/3-inch honeycomb pull-apart dessert pan, making sure to cover all the detailed nooks and crannies. Lightly dust the pan with all-purpose flour (sifting the flour over the top of the pan works best; tap out excess).
• Beat the butter, salt and 1 3/4 cups of the sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, scraping down the sides as needed, until well combined (the butter does not need to be fluffy), about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until incorporated (the mixture will first appear loose and broken, but will eventually come together). Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and beat into the butter mixture; reserve the pod for another use.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the almond flour until combined. Add the all-purpose flour and beat on low until combined. Add the whiskey and beat on low until combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Tap the pan firmly on the counter a few times to force batter into the edges of the pan.
• Bake the cake until golden brown, the edges begin to pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center and edges of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate; carefully remove the pan and very lightly brush away any excess flour from the top of the cake.
• Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to peel wide strips from half of the orange (about 6 strips).
• Boil the cardamom pods in 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat until most of the water has evaporated and the mixture is very fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the honey and the orange peels. Let sit for 5 minutes. Strain the mixture through a mesh sieve into a small glass measuring cup; discard the solids. The mixture should be very thin and slightly warm; gently re-heat if necessary. Slowly drizzle the mixture over the warm cake, allowing the cake to soak up the honey before adding more. Let the cake cool, about 1 hour.
• Just before serving, heat the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon water in small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup honey until combined, then remove from the heat and drizzle over the top of cake, allowing the honey to slowly drip over the sides and into each honeycomb.

A BETTER BURNT ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the French Vanilla cake mix according to package directions for 2 eight, or 2 nine inch, round cake pans. Remove from pans, allow cakes to cool completely.
• While cakes are cooling, spread 1 cup of sliced almonds on a dry baking sheet. Please in the oven at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes. These almonds will burn in an instant. Check almonds progress after 5 minutes and then each minute there after. You are looking for a nice golden brown. Set aside to cool.
• DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE ONCE YOU START THIS PROCESS. To make the brittle: Combine sugar, honey and water in a heavy bottom pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Using a heat resistant rubber spatula, stir gently to dissolve the sugar. Continue to boil over medium heat without stirring for about 8-10 minutes. Mixture will darken to a rich amber color.
• Remove the pot from the heat and quickly stir in the butter, toasted almonds, and baking soda with the rubber spatula until butter has melted and baking soda is well combined.
• CAUTION! This liquid brittle is over 300 degrees at this point. Pour the liquid brittle on to a baking sheet that has been sprayed with a coating of nonstick butter flavored spray. Allow brittle to completely cool on a counter top until rock hard.
• Once hardened, break up the brittle in small pieces and place into a food processor. Process in small batches until the brittle has become a fine crumb consistency. *If you do not have a processor, use a blender or place in a freezer bag and beat to death with a rolling pin :) Keep in mind that any chunks in the crumbs will be very unpleasant and hard to chew in the finished cake.
• Simple Syrup: In a small pot add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes stirring to make sure all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and add 1/2 tsp almond extract,1 tbsp Torani vanilla syrup. Set aside to cool.
• Make the Pastry Pride icing according to package directions. It is as simple as placing the ice cold contents in the bowl of your mixer and whipping to stiff peaks; adding sugar to taste. I find most people prefer little to no sugar added.
• Using a long serrated knife, slice each of the two cakes in half, horizontally. With a pastry brush, brush all layers on their cut side with the simple syrup. Place 1 cup of frosting between each layer, followed by a ¼ cup of the brittle crumbs on top of each layer of frosting. Repeat with each layer until you have 4 layers, one on top of the other, (cake, frosting, crumbs.) completed. Use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake.
• Press the toasted almond slices onto the sides, all the way around the perimeter of the cake. Top off the cake with a layer of the remaining brittle crumbs. Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours before serving. Overnight is optimal.
• Refrigerate leftovers (if there are any). The cake will improve in flavor over the next day or 2 as everything soaks in and melds.

HONEY ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Combine coffee and honey in saucepan; bring to boil. Set aside to cool.
• Place dates in brandy and set aside.
• Blend oil, brown sugar, and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.
• Add flour mixture and coffee mixture alternately to egg mixture.
• Fold in sliced almonds, dates with brandy, and lemon peel.
• Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Spread bottoms with Honey Smear.
• Pour in batter. Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 1 hour or until cake tests done.
• Cool on rack to room temperature.
• Honey Smear:.
• Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl. Cream until light and well blended. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

LITTLE ALMOND CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 degree C.
• Line a 12 cup muffin tray with paper liners, or use a patty cake tray with approx.
• 18 holes and line with paper liners.
• Beat the eggs and sugar with an electric beater until mixture thickens to the consistency of thickened cream.
• Fold in the ground almonds, lemon rind and flour.
• Spoon the mixture into the cases.
• Press one square of chocolate into the centre of each cake so the the chocolate is completely surrounded by the batter.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Cool and dust with sugar to serve.

BURNT ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans.
• For the cake: Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together into a bowl and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the speed to medium-low.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating 30 seconds between additions.
• Add alternating increments of the flour mixture and buttermilk and vanilla, blending well after each addition; this should take about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool in pans, on wire racks, for 10 minutes, unmold the cakes and let cool completely.
• Note: The cake recipe makes two 8-inch round cake layers.
• Only one is used for this recipe.
• To make the brittle: Combine the granulated sugar, honey and water in a medium-sized saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
• Boil, without stirring, until the mixture turns a deep amber color, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the toasted almonds, butter and baking soda.
• Mix with a wooden spoon just until the butter melts and the foaming subsides.
• Pour the mixture into a nonstick or lightly greased baking sheet and set aside to cool.
• Once the brittle has hardened, break it up and crush to fine crumbs in a food processor.
• Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• To make the custard cream: In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, heat milk to barely simmering.
• Meanwhile, combine egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a medium mixing bowl.
• Whisk to blend smoothly.
• Stir the heated milk into the egg mixture; return mixture to saucepan.
• Bring back to a boil, over medium-low heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute.
• Remove pan from heat; add butter and vanilla, stirring to melt the butter.
• Transfer custard to a bowl; place a piece of waxed paper directly on top to prevent a crust from forming and refrigerate until cold.
• Whip the cream and confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Fold into the chilled custard and refrigerate until ready to use.
• To assemble cake: Cut the cake in half horizontally.
• Place one layer on a cake plate, spread cake with cold custard cream and sprinkle with brittle crumbs.
• Cover with the remaining layer of cake.
• Spread the remaining custard cream over cake, applying a thinner coat to the sides than the top.
• Chill for a least 1 hour before garnishing.
• To garnish, press brittle crumbs onto the sides of the cake with the palm of your hand and sprinkle a layer of crumbs on the top.
• Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Note: To toast nuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking pan.
• Bake in a 375F oven until golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Allow nuts to cool before using.