Sherry Soaked Almond Cake With Mixed Berries Recipes

ALMOND RAISIN CAKE WITH SHERRY

Steps:

• Tip the raisins into a bowl, pour over the sherry, then leave for at least 30 mins to soften. Meanwhile, heat oven to 180C/ fan 160C/gas 4. Lightly grease a deep 20cm round cake tin, then line the bottom with a circle of greaseproof paper.
• Mix together the yogurt, oil and eggs. Put the remaining dry ingredients into a large bowl, pour in the yogurt mixture, then stir together until smooth. Scoop half the raisins out of the sherry, then stir into the batter. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with a spoon. Cook in the oven for 50-55 mins until the top springs back when pressed lightly and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• Take a skewer and prick all over the cake. Pour over 5 tbsp of the soaking sherry and let it soak in. You can make up to this point 3 days in advance and store in an airtight container. Serve warm or leave to cool, then dust with icing sugar. Warm the rest of the soaked raisins and sherry, then serve alongside the cake with some vanilla ice cream.

ALMOND BERRY LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush 3 (8-inch) round baking pans with butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit. Brush with butter again and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
• Place 1 tablespoon flour, the almonds, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
• Fill a pot (large enough to set the bowl of an electric mixer in it without the bowl touching the bottom) with 1 inch water and bring to a simmer over low heat.
• Place the eggs, egg whites and sugar in the bowl and gently whisk to incorporate. Place the bowl over the pot of steaming water and whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes.
• Return bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until pale yellow, thick and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add vanilla and gently stir to combine.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold almond mixture into batter. Divide batter evenly among pans and bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. The centers will rise and fall during baking. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the cakes and turn them out onto a flat plate or cardboard round. Peel off parchment and invert onto another plate or round. Cakes should be right-side up. Cool completely and wrap in plastic wrap if not using immediately.
• In a chilled metal bowl, whip the mascarpone and creme fraiche, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until it holds its shape and is not at all runny. Add the lemon zest, confectioners' sugar and liqueur, if using, and beat to combine well. Add up to 2 tablespoons more sugar, to taste, if you choose.
• Place one of the cakes on a serving plate. Top with 1/3 of the mascarpone filling and 1/3 of the berries. Repeat with the remaining 2 layers, leaving the prettiest berries for the top. If not serving right away, chill until ready to serve. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

MIXED BERRY ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
• Combine white sugar, almond paste, and butter in mixing bowl; beat with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high for 3 minutes.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to almond paste mixture and beat until just combined. Pour 2 1/4 cups of batter into prepared pan, gently smoothing to edges. Arrange blueberries and raspberries atop the batter layer; top with remaining batter. Sprinkle almonds over the batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently slide a knife around the inside edge of the pan and release springform circle.
• Lightly dust cake with confectioners' sugar.

MIXED BERRY ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan.
• Add almond paste, sugar and butter to a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat on high for three minutes.
• Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to almond mixture and beat until just combined. Pour 2 1/4 cups of batter into prepared pan, gently smoothing to edges.
• Evenly sprinkle berries across batter. Drop spoonfuls of remaining batter on top of berries and sprinkle with almonds.
• Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently slide a knife around the inside edge of pan and release springform circle. Lightly dust with powdered sugar. finish cooling on rack or serve slightly warm. This cake is equally delicious served cold.

ALMOND AND MIXED-BERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Position rack just above center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Whisk egg white and 3 tablespoons sugar in small bowl to blend. Mix in almonds.
• Blend 1/2 cup sugar and almond paste in processor until fine meal forms. Add flour, baking powder, lemon peel, salt, and ginger; blend 5 seconds. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until coarse meal forms; transfer to large bowl. Whisk egg yolk, buttermilk, and vanilla in small bowl. Gradually add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients, tossing until moist clumps form. Using floured hands, gather dough together.
• Divide dough into 8 equal pieces; roll each into 2-inch ball. Place balls on prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 to 3 inches apart. Gently press top of each ball to flatten slightly. Divide almond topping (including egg white) among biscuits; spread to cover. Bake biscuits until golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 26 minutes (biscuits will spread). Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.)
• Combine berries, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl. Stir in preserves. Let stand until juices form, at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Cut biscuits horizontally in half. Place bottoms on plates. Top with berry mixture, cream, and biscuit tops.
• *Available in specialty foods stores and in the baking products section of most supermarkets.

SHERRY & ALMOND CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Mix the fruit, zest, juice and sherry, and leave overnight to soak. Next day, heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and double-line a deep, 20cm round cake tin. Wrap the outside with brown paper or newspaper and secure with string, as this will protect the sides from overcooking.
• Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla seeds together until pale and creamy. Mix the flour, ground almonds and mixed spice together, then tip into the butter mix with the eggs. Beat until combined and smooth. Stir in the whole almonds, fruit and any leftover juices, turn into the tin, then smooth the top and make a dip in the middle. Bake for 1½ hrs.
• Turn down the oven to 140C/fan 130C/ gas 2, then bake for 1½ hrs more until dark on the top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, or with a few damp crumbs clinging to it. Once cool enough to handle, turn onto a cooling rack and peel away the lining paper. Cool completely.
• Keep the cake well wrapped, then feed once a fortnight with 1-2 tbsp sherry. Poke holes into the cake with a skewer and slowly spoon over the sherry. If you don't have time to do this, this cake is delicious freshly made, and can be covered and decorated as soon as it has completely cooled down.

BERRY ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
• Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in sour cream, almond extract, and vanilla extract until batter is smooth.
• Stir all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom, and salt together in a bowl. Add to the batter; mix on low speed just until combined.
• Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Scatter berries on top. Sprinkle sliced almonds and turbinado sugar over berries.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan; serve warm or at room temperature.

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.

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.