ground almonds

Moira Hodgson rooted this classic out of Claudia Roden’s terrific cookbook, “Everything Tastes Better Outdoors,” and brought it to The Times in 1987: a flourless orange and almond cake that goes beautifully with blueberries or peaches, and is the perfect thing to carry along on a picnic. Extremely moist, it consists of two seeded oranges (peel and all), ground almonds, sugar and eggs – and no flour. Baked in a hot oven, it will be done in just about an hour or so, longer if the orange pulp is extremely wet. Opening the oven door to check will not harm it.

Claudia Roden’s Orange and Almond Cake

oranges

eggs

almonds

sugar

baking powder

Wash the oranges and simmer them, unpeeled, in water to cover for 2 hours. Cool, cut them open and remove the seeds. Puree the oranges, including the peel, in a food processor.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Beat the eggs in a food processor or large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, including the orange puree, and mix thoroughly. Pour into a buttered and floured cake tin, with a removable base if possible.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before turning out.

Mina Pachter's Gesundheits Kuchen

eggs,

unsalted butter,

almond extract

all-purpose flour

salt

milk

lemon

Confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a tube pan.

Beat the yolks well. Add the sugar, beating well again. Add the cooled butter, almonds and almond extract, and mix well.

Fold in the flour, baking powder, salt, lemon rind and milk.

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry, and fold in.

Pour into the greased pan, and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely. Sprinkle the top with confectioners' sugar.

For those that only like a little icing, Mary's drizzled version of the classic Bakewell tart will be a hit at tea time.

Easy Bakewell Tart

flour

grams/2½oz butter

water

raspberry jam

grams/4½oz butter

grams/4½oz caster sugar

125 grams/4½oz ground almonds

egg,

grams/1¾oz almonds

80 grams/2¾oz icing sugar

2½ tsp cold water

Easy Bakewell tart

This Swedish layer cake is great fun - bright green and full of custard, jam, marzipan, and a mound of whipped cream! 

Equipment and preparation: for this recipe you will need a piping bag with a 1cm/½in plain nozzle, a medium star nozzle, a 23cm/9in springform tin and a sugar thermometer. 

Prinsesstårta

600 milliliters/20fl oz milk

vanilla

grams/3½oz caster sugar

grams/1¾oz cornflour

unsalted butter

raspberries

jam sugar

150 grams/5½oz caster sugar

grams/2½oz cornflour

75 grams/2½oz plain flour

tsp baking powder

grams/1¾oz butter, melted

pink ready-to-roll icing

icing sugar,

750 milliliters/1⅓ pints double cream

dark chocolate (36% cocoa solids), melted

250 grams/9 ounces icing sugar,

medium free-range eggs, beaten

green food colouring paste (do not use liquid food colouring)

Our traditional Battenberg cake is a delicious project for an afternoon in the kitchen. Bake this easy but impressive cake for a special occasion

Battenberg cake

butter

golden caster sugar

self-raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

vanilla extract

¼ tsp almondextract

x ingredients for almondsponge

pink food colouring,we used ½ tsp Squires rose food paste

apricot jam

x blocks white marzipan

little icing sugar,for dusting

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line the base and sides of a 20cm square tin with baking parchment (the easiest way is to cross 2 x 20cm-long strips over the base). To make the almond sponge, put the butter, sugar, flour, ground almonds, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and almond extract in a large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk until the mix comes together smoothly. Scrape into the tin, spreading to the corners, and bake for 25-30 mins – when you poke in a skewer, it should come out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling while you make the second sponge.

For the pink sponge, line the tin as above. Mix all the ingredients together as above, but don’t add the almond extract. Fold in some pink food colouring. Then scrape it all into the tin and bake as before. Cool.

To assemble, heat the jam in a small pan until runny, then sieve. Barely trim two opposite edges from the almond sponge, then well trim a third edge. Roughly measure the height of the sponge, then cutting from the well-trimmed edge, use a ruler to help you cut 4 slices each the same width as the sponge height. Discard or nibble leftover sponge. Repeat with pink cake.

Take 2 x almond slices and 2 x pink slices and trim so they are all the same length. Roll out one marzipan block on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar to just over 20cm wide, then keep rolling lengthways until the marzipan is roughly 0.5cm thick. Brush with apricot jam, then lay a pink and an almond slice side by side at one end of the marzipan, brushing jam in between to stick sponges, and leaving 4cm clear marzipan at the end. Brush more jam on top of the sponges, then sandwich remaining 2 slices on top, alternating colours to give a checkerboard effect. Trim the marzipan to the length of the cakes.

Carefully lift up the marzipan and smooth over the cake with your hands, but leave a small marzipan fold along the bottom edge before you stick it to the first side. Trim opposite side to match size of fold, then crimp edges using fingers and thumb (or, more simply, press with prongs of fork). If you like, mark the 10 slices using the prongs of a fork.

Assemble second Battenberg and keep in an airtight box or well wrapped in cling film for up to 3 days. Can be frozen for up to a month.

Once you've tasted these light-as-air cakes, you will be hooked

Blueberry &  lemon friands

icing sugar

plain flour

ground almond

blueberry

Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Generously butter six non-stick friand or muffin tins. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

Sift the icing sugar and flour into a bowl. Add the almonds and mix everything between your fingers.

Whisk the egg whites in another bowl until they form a light, floppy foam. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, tip in the egg whites and lemon rind, then lightly stir in the butter to form a soft batter.

Divide the batter among the tins, a large serving spoon is perfect for this job. Sprinkle a handful of blueberries over each cake and bake for 15-20 minutes until just firm to the touch and golden brown.

Cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out and cool on a wire rack. To serve, dust lightly with icing sugar.

A lovely cherry sponge cake with a little extra texture from the ground almonds. Dusting the cherries with flour helps stop them sinking to the bottom of the cake.

Equipment and preparation: for this recipe you will need a 23cm/9in savarin mould or a bundt tin (alternatively use a 20cm/8in round cake tin).

Mary's cherry cake

glacé cherries

175 grams/6 ounces softened butter, plus extra for greasing

caster sugar

lemon,

lemon, juice only

grams/½oz flaked almonds, toasted

glacé cherries, quartered

Mary shows us how to make cherry cake, as seen in the very first Technical Challenge of Series 5.

Cherry cake

Exotic, fragrant, beautiful – what’s not to love about this luxurious cake? Topped with icing and baked in a bundt tin, it's a cake for when you're out to impress.

For this recipe you will need a 23–25cm/9–10in bundt tin and a freestanding mixer or a hand-held electric mixer. 

Persian love cake 

½ unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest and juice

½ orange, finely grated zest and juice

tsp rosewater or orange blossom water

150 grams/5½oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp ground cardamom or cinnamon

100 grams/3½oz ground almonds

grams/3½oz pistachios

tbsp soured cream

½ lemon, juice only

orange juice

rosewater

tbsp edible dried rose petals,

grams/1 ounces nibbed pistachios (see tip)

Creamy and healthy - a winning combination for this curry, which can be easily adapted to suit all the family if some want to add meat

Creamy veggie korma

vegetable oil

onion, finely chopped

cardamom pods, bashed

tsp each ground cumin and coriander

½ tsp ground turmeric

green chilli, deseeded (if desired) and finely chopped

garlic clove, crushed

ginger,

mixed vegetable,

vegetable stock

frozen peas

yogurt

tbsp ground almonds (optional)

chicken breast per portion

toasted flaked almonds, chopped coriander, basmati rice or naan bread

Heat the oil in a large pan. Cook onion with the dry spices over a low heat for 5-6 mins until the onion is light golden. Add the chilli, garlic and ginger and cook for 1 min, then throw in the mixed vegetables and cook for a further 5 mins.

Divide the mixture appropriately between two pans if serving vegetarians and meat eaters. Chop the chicken into small chunks and stir into one pan. Add the stock, dividing between the pans appropriately, and simmer for 10 mins (if only cooking the veggie version in one pan, use 300ml stock; if dividing between two pans, add 250ml to each). Divide the peas, if necessary, and add, cooking for 3 mins more until the veg are tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Remove from the heat and stir through the yogurt and ground almonds, if using. Serve sprinkled with the toasted almonds and coriander, with basmati rice or naan bread on the side.

If you know someone who likes bakewell tart, then they will just love this cake – it’s full of almond flavour and sandwiched with cherry jam

Cherry bakewell cake

butter, well softened, plus extra for greasing

jar morello cherry conserve

water juice

tbsp ready-toasted flaked almonds

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and make sure there’s a shelf ready in the middle. Butter and line the bases of two 20cm round sandwich tins with baking paper.

Using electric beaters, beat together all the cake ingredients with a pinch of salt until smooth, then spoon into the tins and level the tops. Bake for 30 mins or until golden and springy. Don’t open the oven before 25 mins cooking time has passed.

When they’re ready, cool the sponges for a few mins, then tip out of the tins and cool completely on a wire rack. Make sure the top of one of the cakes is facing up as you’ll want a smooth surface for the icing later on.

When cool, put one sponge on a serving plate, then spread with jam. Sandwich the second sponge on top. Sieve the icing sugar into a large bowl. Add the water or lemon juice, then stir until smooth and thick. Spread evenly over the top and let it dribble over the sides. Scatter with the nuts and leave to set for a few mins before cutting.

This tasty tart is the perfect summer dessert for a crowd

Raspberry tart with almond pastry

cold butter

tub crème fraîche

vanilla essence

juice and zest of ½ lemon

Make the pastry by tipping all the ingredients, except the yolk, into a food processor and pulsing to the texture of breadcrumbs. Add the yolk, then pulse until it all comes together to form a soft pastry. The pastry will be too soft to roll out, so press it evenly into a loose-based 25cm tart tin until the pastry comes up above the edges of the tin. Rest in the freezer for at least 20 mins.

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Line the tart case with baking parchment and baking beans, then place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 mins until the edges are starting to brown. Remove the beans and paper, then continue to cook for 10 mins until biscuity. Leave to cool, trim the edges with a knife, then carefully remove from the tart tin.

To make the filling, whisk the cr&egrave;me fra&icirc;che with the sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and zest until thick. Spread over the bottom of the tart case, then meticulously place the raspberries on top in concentric circles. Meanwhile, heat up jam in the microwave or in a pan with 2tbsp water until bubbling. Push the glaze through a sieve into a bowl, then paint it over the raspberries with a pasty brush. Bring the whole tart to the table and serve in slices.

This recipe comes from the British cookbook author Meera Sodha, who adapted it from a dish she tasted in Goa, India. It's a smart, simple technique that turns the broccoli crisp and creamy at the same time: charred florets with a lick of thick nutmeg-spiced sauce baked into every nook and cranny. Ms. Sodha uses a mix of cream cheese, yogurt and ground almonds. Don't be afraid to get messy and use your hands to thoroughly coat the broccoli in the sauce; it pays off later.

Roasted Broccoli With Almonds and Cardamom (Malai Broccoli)

broccoli florets (from 2 to 3 heads of broccoli)

cream cheese, softened

Greek yogurt

black pepper

cardamom

ground or freshly grated whole nutmeg

lemon juice

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper. Break the broccoli into bite-size pieces. Place all the other ingredients into a large bowl and mix well, using a spatula, spoon or electric mixer to combine. Add the broccoli and mix using clean hands, making sure the mixture gets into all the nooks and crannies of the florets.

Divide the broccoli between the 2 baking sheets and roast for 10 minutes. Turn the pieces over and return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender, crunchy and charred in places. Pile into a bowl and serve.

Juicy peaches, sweet almonds, melt-in-the-mouth pastry... you'll want a large slice of this one

Peach & almond tart

cold unsalted butter

tbsp caster sugar

almond

peaches

peach preserve or apricot jam

fraîche

To make the pastry, rub together the flour and butter until it looks like fine breadcrumbs, then mix in the sugar. Add 1 egg yolk and 1 tsp water, followed by the next yolk and 1 tsp water until the dough just comes together. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 mins.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface until big enough to line a 23cm tart tin. If the dough rips, simply patch it up. Cut away the excess pastry. Line with greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans, then bake for 10 mins. Remove paper and beans. Prick quite a few holes in the base of your tart, then bake for another 10-15 mins until biscuity.

While the pastry cooks, make the filling. Whisk the sugar and butter together until you get a pale paste. Beat in the eggs and finally add the almonds and flour. Spoon into pastry case, arrange the peach slices across the top in a pattern and bake for 30-40 mins until golden. When cool, brush your preserve or jam across the top. Serve with a little pot of crème fraîche on the side and eat it quick before anyone else gets their hands on it!

A stunning cake that will fast become a failsafe option for any event

Orange & white chocolate sponge

white chocolate

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment. Tip the sugar into a mixing bowl and add the softened butter and orange zest. Beat for 1 min or so until pale and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks. Sift the flour and baking powder over the cake mixture and fold in lightly. Finally, fold in the almonds and orange juice. Whisk the egg whites until they just hold their shape. Fold one-third of the egg white into the cake mix, using the whisk. Repeat with another third, then the final third. Take care not to over-mix or you will lose the lightness of the egg whites.

Divide the cake mix between the prepared tins and bake for 30-35 mins. Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the lining paper and leave to cool.

To make the icing, melt the chocolate over a pan of barely simmering water or in the microwave on High for 1&frac12; mins, stirring every 30 secs, then leave to cool. Whip the crème fraîche until thick, then fold in the white chocolate. Set one cake on a serving plate or cake stand. Spoon half the icing onto the cake and top with the other cake. Spread with the rest of the icing, then allow to set in the fridge for at least 1 hr.

If you want to make the decorative curls, melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water or in a microwave and spread thinly over a baking tray. Leave the tray in the fridge for the chocolate to harden a bit, then use a cake&nbsp;slice or angled knife blade to scrape chocolate curls. Pile the curls in the middle of the cake and serve cut into slices.

These light and very almondy amaretti are crisp on the outside and slightly chewy inside. Whip up a batch for edible presents - you can dust them with icing sugar for a pretty finish.

Amaretti biscuits

eggs, whites only (160 grams/6 ounces)

milliliters/1fl oz amaretto liqueur

butter,

With a base of crushed biscuits, rather than pastry, this tart is quick to make – no need for any rolling out or baking blind. The apple and almond go so well together too. Make it a day ahead then just reheat it when you are ready to serve.
Equipment: You will need a 20cm/8in round, loose-bottomed fluted tart tin with 3-4cm/1¼-1½ in sides.


Apple frangipane tart

digestive biscuits

apples

75 grams/3 ounces butter, softened

75 grams/3 ounces caster sugar

grams/3 almonds

This easy cake is packed with fresh raspberries and smooth (readymade) custard, making it the perfect family teatime treat

Top 36 ground almonds recipes from across the web

The most viewed ground almonds recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

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Top 36 ground almonds recipes from across the web

The most viewed ground almonds recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Claudia Roden’s Orange and Almond C...

Mina Pachter's Gesundheits Kuchen

Easy Bakewell Tart

Prinsesstårta

Battenberg cake

Blueberry & lemon friands

Mary's cherry cake

Persian love cake

Creamy veggie korma

Cherry bakewell cake

Raspberry tart with almond pastry

Roasted Broccoli With Almonds and C...

Peach & almond tart

Orange & white chocolate sponge

Amaretti biscuits

Apple frangipane tart

Raspberry custard cake

Gateau Reine de Saba

Raspberry amaretti biscuits

Bakewell traybake

Summer berry pie

Plum & almond crumble slice

Bakewell traybake

Raspberry & amaretti crunch cake

Chicken korma

Frangipane mince pies

Roast cauliflower korma curry

Romantic rose cupcakes

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The most viewed ground almonds recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine