Recipe review: Almond Brown Sugar Pound Cake

A few days ago I realized that I own a cookbook and had never tried any of the recipies. The boyfriend unit's mother's birthday is soon, and since none of them cook or bake at all (until they met me, I'm not sure they had ever heard of frosting that didn't come from a can) I thought I'd look through the book for something she might like. It's since been decided that I should just go with the cake mix for the party - she likes cakes from cake mixes - but I did find a recipe for almond brown sugar pound cake. "Self," I thought to myself, "you must make this cake." Myself and I had to wait a day, because we did not have several of the ingredients in question. Nor, shockingly, did we own a Bundt pan or a flour sifter. I have since remedied that situation. Have I mentioned that I live within walking distance of a Bed, Bath, and Beyond? It's potentially dangerous.

You know what else is dangerous? This cake. It's really, really, really not good for you.

Anyway, the cookbook in question is Jill O'Connor's Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey. She's graced the pound cake with a very stupid official name, falling prey to a terrible pun involving brown sugar and Mick Jagger. And despite the fact that this blog title is itself a horrible pun, I feel that the pound cake recipe is so good that it does not deserve said punning title, and I will not repeat it here.

If you use a Bundt pan, you'll get this:


Pardon my coffee pot and my bananas.



So, the "almond" part of this pound cake comes in the form of almond flour (in addition to almond extract). I found almond flour at Whole Foods. It is not a cheap substance, which makes the cake a bit pricey as well. Also, I assume that not everyone lives conveniently close to a Whole Foods or similar store. For this reason, I have googled "how to make almond flour." The consensus seems to be that one puts whole almonds (blanched or unblanched) into a blender/food processor and grinds them until they resemble flour, being sure to stop blending before they turn into almond butter. However, I haven't tried doing this yet. Considering the price of almonds and the possible annoyance, you may just want to look for the flour. I used Bob's Red Mill brand (because that's what there was). I liked it.

The recipe:
2 cups all-purpose flour (sift, then measure)
1 1/4 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
>> Sift these things together in a bowl, then set aside.

In a large bowl, and with electric mixer on medium speed, cream:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz (one package) cream cheese, softened
Then gradually beat in:
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Once all that is creamed, add 6 eggs - at room temperature - one at a time.

Fold in the flour mixture BY HAND, using a rubber spatula or a very large whisk. (I tried this with a smallish whisk because my big whisk was dirty. Use a big whisk.)

Pour batter into a greased pan: Bundt, 10-inch tube, or two regular-size loaf pans. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven. The recipe says that this will take 75-90 minutes, but my Bundt cake was perfectly done at 75 and my oven isn't fast. So I'd recommend checking at 65 minutes or even before. The usual toothpick test applies.

When the cake comes out of the oven, put it on a rack while you make the brown sugar glaze. Put aluminum foil under the rack; you'll want it there later.

While the cake is cooling, make the brown sugar glaze:
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup water
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
Combine these in a saucepan over low heat and cook until melted. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Boil until the glaze is thick and syrupy. (Recipe says this will take five minutes; it took me closer to twenty. But maybe I just like a really thick glaze.)

Unmold the cake onto the wire rack. (It should still be warm.) If you like, poke some holes in the cake with a skewer, so that the glaze may pool deliciously therein. Drizzle your warm glaze over the cake. The recipe says to let it cool completely, and I suppose you should, but let's be honest: this cake is better warm. Therefore, I recommend cutting into it before it's completely cool. Or just microwave for 30 seconds. That works too.

The next time I make this, I plan to sprinkle sliced almonds over the glaze while it's still warm, both for decorative effect and because I think the added crunch would be lovely.

Be careful, because this cake will attract small, sneaky dogs.



And here's what it looks like when you cut into it. It's very dense and rich.



Media pairing: It's a rather classy, sophisticated sort of pound cake. The almond makes it seem a bit more upscale than you'd get at the Tupperware party. Therefore, I recommend a nice 1950s melodrama - Minnelli's Tea and Sympathy, or perhaps something by Douglas Sirk.

So what's next? I'm thinking maybe the mocha hazelnut trifle with Kahlua whipped cream...