Almond Cake From Albufeira, Portugal

This cake is a long time favourite. I've been making it for over 30 years. I think I still have the original Bon Appetit Magazine from 1977.

Almond Cake From Albufeira, Portugal
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Bon Appetit, November 1977

1 Cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 ts baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
1/4 ts salt
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 ts vanilla extract

1/3 Cup melted butter cooled to room
temperature
2/3 cup sliced almonds
Hot Almond Syrup (recipe follows)

Hot Almond Syrup

3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 Tbs water
1/2 ts almond extract

Preheat oven to 350* F. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Beat egg, buttermilk and vanilla extract together until smooth. Stir in melted butter. Add flour mixture and mix with spoon until nearly smooth. Turn into a buttered 9" springform pan.
Bake until center of cake springs back when lightly touched, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven. While is hot, cover top with sliced almonds. Slowly pour Hot Almond Syrup evenly over, letting syrup soak into cake. Broil about 6" from heat until almonds are lightly toasted. Cool on
rack 15 minutes. Using knife or spatula, loosen sides between pan and cake, then cool completely before releasing springform pan.

Almond Syrup

In 1-qt saucepan combine sugar and water. Boil until mixture reaches 220* F on candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract.

Be careful not to over cook the syrup or it will harden on top of the almonds rather than get absorbed into the cake. I don't use the thermometer. I just bring the syrup to a boil and cook for about one minute. There is so little syrup that it doesn't take long.

Edited: January 22nd, 2006