Almond Cake

• Almond extract or almond paste - adds an extra nutty flavor and a delicious aroma. Use natural extract whenever possible without any fillers. Vanilla extract works too!
• Lemon zest - or orange zest or lime. Citrus zest elevates the flavor of the entire cake.
• Eggs - medium or large. Eggs act as a binder ingredient and are an emulsifier. We use plenty in this recipe to get that light and fluffy batter.
• Butter - we like to use unsalted butter as many brands add different amounts of salt according to their brand recipes.
• Baking powder - increases the volume and lightens up the texture of baked goods.

Tips

• With a reliable metal nonstick cake pan, skip parchment paper. Ensure thorough greasing with oil or butter on the bottom and sides of the pan.
• Allow the cake to cool before cutting to ensure even slices and a spongy texture; cutting it while warm may result in uneven slices and a crumbly texture.
• Measure your ingredients correctly (scoop and level method) or use kitchen scale for more precise measurements.
• Oven temperatures vary, check the cake with a toothpick towards the last 20 min of baking.
• Make almond flour by pulsing blanched almonds in a food processor until finely textured for a fresher taste, though it won't be a powder-like consistency. Store in the fridge as almond flour has a limited shelf life.
• Mix-ins - chopped nuts, dried berries, or frozen berries (toss these in almond meal first before adding to the cake) will add freshness and flavor.
• If the almonds are becoming too brown during baking, it may be the oven, a higher temperature than needed, or particular almonds used. If this happens, loosely cover the cake with a piece of aluminum foil, but don't reduce the heat and check the cake for doneness earlier. 
• If you have almond flour leftovers, make my Thumbprint cookies or crunchy Buffalo Cauliflower.

Step By Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 8-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment paper and set aside. 
2. Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, mix melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon zest until combined. Set aside.
3. Combine dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut, salt, and caster sugar.
4. Combine all. Add the dry ingredients to the wet.
5. Beat on low with a handheld electric mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. The batter should be more on the wet side, not very thick but pourable.
6. Tip: I prefer a handheld mixer for this so there's less probability that I will overmix the batter which is crucial here. If you overmix the cake it will be flat and less moist.
7. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle generously with almond flakes and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few bread crumbs. As this cake is quite moist, it is normal to have a few breadcrumbs on toothpicks when testing.
8. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.