Torta De Cielo Almond Sponge Cake Recipes

ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with vegetable spray. An alternative is to butter and flour the cake pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, cake flour and baking powder and set aside.
• Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and almond paste on high speed until smooth, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and slowly add confectioners' sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined and light and fluffy. Raise speed to high and add the vanilla extract, whole eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time. Mix until well combined. Reduce speed to medium and add the sour cream and dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool. Remove from pan and dust with confectioners' sugar.

TORTA DE CIELO (ALMOND SPONGE CAKE)

Steps:

• Pour hot water over the almonds to cover and let them soak at least six hours; skin them.
• Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Butter a 9" springform pan generously; cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom; lay it in the bottom, press, and turn so that the parchment is buttered on both sides; lightly flour the pan.
• Chop the nuts roughly, then grind them a little at a time; to qoute Ms. Kennedy, "they should be neither too coarse not too fine.".
• Beat the egg whites until fluffy; add the salt and continue beating until they are stiff.
• Add the yolks one by one and continue beating until incorporated.
• Mix the dry ingredients together and, beating at low speed, gradually add them to the egg mixture.
• Add the brandy and almond extract, mix well and pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 1 and 1/4 hours in the middle of the oven.
• Let the cake get cold before removing it from the pan.
• This moist, textured cake keeps almost indefinitely if stored in a cool dry place--preferably not the refrigerator.

ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Finely grind the almonds in a food processor.
• With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar to a smooth pale cream. Beat in the zests and almond extract. Add the ground almonds and mix very well.
• With clean beaters, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold them into the egg and almond mixture (the mixture is thick, so that you will need to turn it over quite a bit into the egg whites).
• Grease an 11-inch springform pan, preferably nonstick, with butter and dust it with flour. Pour in the cake batter, and bake into a preheated 350°F for 40 minutes, or until it feels firm to the touch. Let cool before turning out.
• Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar. Or, if you like, cut a St. James cross out of paper. Place it in the middle of the cake, and dust the cake with confectioners' sugar, then remove the paper.