Italian Almond Cake

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Step 2

In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugar.

Step 3

Add eggs and whisk again.

Step 4

Using a food processor, coarsely grind 3/4 c of the sliced almonds. If you don't have a food processor, you can also finely chop them by hand using a knife.

Step 5

Next, add the orange zest, ground almonds, and both extracts to the batter and whisk all ingredients together.

Step 6

In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, and salt.

Step 7

Add dry to wet ingredients and stir well until smooth.

Step 8

Grease a springform pan or cake pan with either butter or cooking spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper.Tip: If you're using a round cake pan, line both the bottom and sides with parchment, with a little extra sticking up to act as "handles" to lift the cake out of the pan after baking.

Step 9

Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly using a rubber spatula.

Step 10

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly over the batter, then add 3/4 c of sliced almonds on top.

Step 11

Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 12

Remove the ring from the springform pan and let cool. If you used a round cake pan instead, lift the cake out of the pan with the parchment paper, and let cool.

Step 13

Finally, dust the top of the finished cake with a little powdered sugar. Enjoy!