Make these golden amaretto-soaked cakes a month ahead so they have plenty of time to develop the perfect level of mellow boozy flavour.
- Prep time 40 minutes
Ingredients
Icing:
Cherry Almond Cakes:
Method
Cherry Almond Cakes: In food processor, pulse glacé cherries with dried cherries until coarsely chopped. Scrape into large bowl; stir in 1/2 cup of the amaretto. Cover and let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for 24 hours. Stir in 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour just until combined. Set aside.
Line six 5- x 2-inch (12 x 5 cm) mini loaf pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
In large bowl, whisk together remaining all-purpose flour, the almond flour, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in flour mixture just until combined; stir in cherry mixture and almonds. Scrape into prepared pans, smoothing tops.
Set shallow pan on bottom rack of 250°F (120°C) oven; add enough hot water to come halfway up sides. Place cakes on centre rack; bake, covering with foil if beginning to crack, until cake tester inserted in centres comes out clean, about 75 minutes. Let cool completely in pans.
Invert cakes from pans; peel off parchment paper. Soak twelve 12-inch (30 cm) squares cheesecloth in remaining amaretto. Wrap 1 cake in 2 squares cheesecloth. Repeat with remaining cakes and cheesecloth. Overwrap in plastic wrap and foil. Refrigerate for 1 month. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 2 months, remoistening cheesecloth with amaretto and rewrapping cakes if cloth dries out completely.)
Icing: In bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in icing sugar, cream and vanilla (icing will be stiff).
Assembly: Unwrap cakes and brush tops with corn syrup. On icing sugar–dusted
work surface, roll out almond paste into 11- x 8-inch (28 x 20 cm) rectangle. Cut lengthwise into thirds; cut crosswise to make 6 rectangles. Place 1 rectangle on top of each cake, pressing to adhere. Spread icing over cakes. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; refrigerate in airtight container until firm, about 24 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.)
Tip from The Test Kitchen: For easy cake wrapping, soak the cheesecloth and cut the plastic wrap and foil beforehand.
TOTAL TIME: about 1 month
Makes 6 cakes (about 8 slices per cake)
Nutritional facts per slice: about
- Fibre 2 g
- Sodium 68 mg
- Sugars 32 g
- Protein 3 g
- Calories 233.0
- Total fat 9 g
- Potassium 122 mg
- Cholesterol 20 mg
- Saturated fat 3 g
- Total carbohydrate 38 g
%RDI
- Iron 5.0
- Folate 6.0
- Calcium 5.0
- Vitamin A 5.0
- Vitamin C 2.0
