Caramelized Almond Cake

Things have been very busy around these parts. We’re about 3/4 of the way unpacked from the move, and I finally finished painting my studio (hurray!!) so I was able to move all my ceramics + cabinets + photography equipment in there and get it all organized, which felt very soothing. As someone who get very anxious when things aren’t easy-to-find, moving has been pretty intense lol. But having my creative space put together has been absolutely amazing, and I made this caramelized almond cake to kick things off with a great start.

The cake itself is a yogurt, olive oil, and almond cake with almond flour, wheat flour, almond extract, vanilla, and orange juice and zest. It has a wonderful aromatic flavor that’s enhanced by the fiori di sicilia extract. This is an Italian flavoring that’s a combination of citrus and vanilla and adds THE most insanely delicious taste to baked goods. You can substitute vanilla for it, but I’d strongly encourage you to add it to your extract cupboard—you won’t regret it. The cake is covered in a mascarpone whipped cream, and then caramelized almond sliced are stuck onto the sides of the cake for some very tasty crunchy bits.

If you want to have something extra-special during the holidays this year, this caramelized almond cake fits the bill pretty perfectly. It’s been a real treat to snack on around here during the short days. Goodness I can’t wait until we pass the winter solstice and start getting more light again. I miss it so very much! I don’t know that I’ll be able to post again before Christmas (everything has been so crazy with all the little house projects like getting curtain rods installed and shelves up in my photography closet…the list goes on) but I wish you the most joyous holiday filled with great food, wonderful company, and lots of coziness in the meantime! And here some gingerbread cookie and panettone goodness, too, if you’re looking for more fun holiday baked goods. I’ll be in touch again soon, dear reader!

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Caramelized Almond Cake

This delicious and decadent cake starts with an almond, olive oil, and orange cake that's covered in mascarpone whipped cream, and then ends with a coating of caramelized sliced almonds on the exterior. It's moist, deeply flavorful, and has a wonderful mix of fluffy creamy textures from the whipped cream, and a delightful crunch from the caramelized almonds.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Keyword caramelized almond cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 16 people

Calories 504kcal

Ingredients

Almond Olive Oil Cake

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup full fat Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons organic orange zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon fiori di sicilia can substitute more vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Caramelized Almonds

• 2 teaspoons water
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sliced almonds

Mascarpone Whipped Cream

• 8 ounces mascarpone room temperature (do NOT use Whole Foods brand, it gets chunky when mixed with heavy whipping cream)
• 8 ounces heavy whipping cream cold
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Almond Olive Oil Cake

• Grease two 6.5-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper and set them aside, (you can use 8 inch cake pans, they will just cook about 5-10 minutes faster).
• In a medium sized bowl, stir together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt until combined. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, orange zest, and orange juice at low speed until combined. Add the flour mixture, then add the olive oil and extracts and mix until *just* combined. Evenly distribute the batter between the two lined and greased cake pans and bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If you’re using two 8-inch cake pans, bake them for 25 to 35 minutes.
• Allow the cakes to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning the cake out of the pans and allowing them to cool completely on the wire rack.

Caramelized Almonds

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare by melting the sugar with a little water over medium heat. Continue cooking until the sugar starts to caramelize in the pan and turns a pale brown color (keep a close eye as it can go from caramelized to burnt quickly), then immediately remove it from the heat, add butter, and stir to combine. If the mixture hardens after butter is added, just put it back on the heat and stir until smooth.
• In a large bowl, pour the caramel mixture over the almonds, toss to coat, and evenly distribute between two lipped baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature before breaking apart the caramelized almonds into roughly 2-inch pieces.

Mascarpone Whipped Cream

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together all of the ingredients at medium speed until soft peaks form. This will happen fairly quickly so pay close attention, you do NOT want to overbeat the mixture. Once soft peaks are achieved, remove and set aside.

Assembly

• Use a long bread knife to cut the domes off the top of the cakes so that they’re flat on top. Ice the top of one cake, then place the other cake on top of it and ice the sides and top of the cake. Dollop any extra mascarpone whipped cream on top.
• Stick the caramelized almonds to the sides of the cake by pressing them gently onto the icing. Repeat until the sides of the cake are covered. You can place one caramelized almond piece on top of the dollop of mascarpone whipped cream on the top of the cake for a garnish. Serve and enjoy!
• This will keep in an airtight cake box in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Nutrition

Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 252mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 518IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 2mg