Pound Cake With Mascarpone Apricots Amaretto And Almonds Recipes

TOASTED POUND CAKE WITH MASCARPONE AND AMARETTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the almonds on a large, heavy baking sheet, and toast in the oven, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are fragrant and light golden brown, about 7 minutes. Let cool completely.
• In a small bowl, stir the apricot preserves and amaretto to blend. Working in batches, toast the pound cake slices in a toaster until golden.
• Place 1 cake slice atop each of six plates, and spoon the mascarpone cheese atop the cake slices. Arrange the remaining cake slices offset atop the bottom cake slices. Spoon the apricot mixture over. Sprinkle with the almonds and serve immediately.

CINNAMON AND AMARETTO POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10-inch fluted tube pan.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg together in a small bowl.
• Cream sugar and butter together in a large bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Mix in sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix in half the flour mixture on low speed until just combined. Pour in amaretto and mix gently. Add in remaining flour mixture; blend until just combined. Batter will be somewhat thick; pour evenly into prepared tube pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 40 minutes.
• To make glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, heavy cream, amaretto, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt together until smooth. Add more heavy cream if glaze is too thick. Pour glaze over cooled cake; top with sliced almonds and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

APRICOT ALMOND LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make macaroon layers:
• Trace 2 (8-inch) circles on 1 sheet of parchment paper and a third circle on second sheet. Turn sheets over and put on 2 baking sheets.
• Pulse almonds with 1 1/3 cups confectioners sugar in a food processor until very finely ground (mixture will resemble sand), 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and sift in remaining 2 cups confectioners sugar, then stir until combined well.
• Beat egg whites with salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Add granulated sugar a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and continue to beat until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks, about 3 minutes.
• Stir whites into almond mixture until completely incorporated (batter will be thick), then divide batter evenly among traced circles on baking sheets (about 1 2/3 cups per circle), smoothing into 1/2-inch-thick rounds.Let rounds stand, uncovered, at room temperature until tops are no longer sticky and a light crust forms, about 30 minutes.
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 300°F. Bake macaroon layers, switching position of baking sheets halfway through cooking, until macaroons are crisp and edges are just barely pale golden, about 25 minutes. Turn off oven and let macaroons stand in oven 10 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheets on racks, about 1 hour.
• Make compote while macaroon layers bake:
• Simmer dried apricots in water in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan, uncovered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until apricots are very soft and most of liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes. Stir in preserves, then cool completely.
• Make praline almonds:
• Heat almonds in a 12-inch dry heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until almonds are hot but not yet colored, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners sugar and continue cooking, stirring and tossing, until almonds are lightly toasted and sugar glaze is caramelized, about 3 minutes. Immediately transfer almonds to a large sheet of foil and spread into 1 layer with a fork. Cool completely.
• Make mascarpone cream:
• Just before serving, beat together mascarpone, heavy cream, and Amaretto with cleaned beaters at medium speed until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup praline almonds, then fold remainder into cream.
• Put 1 macaroon layer on a platter and spread with one third of compote (about 1/2 cup), then spread one fourth of mascarpone cream (about 3/4 cup) on top. Make another layer with second macaroon in same manner. Top with remaining macaroon, remaining compote, and remaining cream (1 1/2 cups), then sprinkle with reserved praline almonds.

APRICOT-ALMOND-RUM POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 9 inch tube pan generously, and dust with ground almonds.
• Combine apricots with rum and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with almond paste and 1/2 cup sugar.
• Add egg yolks and beat until light and fluffy.
• Mix in apricots in rum and almond extract until well blended.
• Mix in flour until well blended, but don't over mix.
• In another bowl beat egg whites until fluffy.
• Into the egg whites, gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup of sugar until stiff and shiny.
• Mix 1/3 of the egg whites into the creamed mixture.
• Carefully fold in the remaining egg whites until well blended but not overmixed.
• Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and cakes slightly pulls away from side of pan. I start checking at about 55 minutes.
• Note* The Rum flavor is faint, but complimentary. If you want a more pronounced rum flavor, sub rum extract for the almond extract.

AMARETTO ALMOND POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with shortening; lightly flour. Sprinkle almonds in bottom of pan.
• In large bowl, beat 1 1/4 cups butter and the cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add 3 tablespoons amaretto and the vanilla, beating just until blended. Gradually add flour, beating on low speed just until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Pour batter over almonds in pan.
• Bake 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• During last 10 minutes of baking, mix glaze ingredients in 1-quart saucepan. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Gradually spoon hot glaze over cake, allowing it to soak into cake after each addition. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CHIP-AMARETTO POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease the bundt pan.
• Mix eggs, cake mix, oil, water and almond extract with electric beater. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Pour into prepared pan. Bake approximately 1 hour or until cake tests done. Cool, then dust with confectioners' sugar.