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Holiday Almond Pound Cake

Susan Reid | December 10, 2020

Celebrate the holidays with a centerpiece that's as beautiful as it is delicious. The almond in this cake and its frosting add depth of flavor, marrying well with the sweetness. Add food coloring to the frosting for a festive hue and top with crunchy toasted almonds.

Level
Intermediate
Prep Time
40 minutes
Cook Time
27 minutes
Serves
7
Cook it With Our
Holiday Almond Pound Cake Recipe

Ingredients

Cake
  • 1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ cup almond butter
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Frosting
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
  • red and green gel paste colors
Glaze and Garnish
  • remaining mixture from frosting
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • ¾ cup toasted sliced almonds (optional)

Directions

Cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the wells of your Lodge Wreath Pan. To cut down on bubbles, spray the wells thoroughly and use a pastry brush to spread the oil into the indentations and create a smooth film all over the pattern.
  2. Whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and almond butter, and mix with beaters or a paddle until the mixture looks crumbly. Beat in the egg, then the sour cream and extracts. Scrape the bowl and mix for 30 seconds more. 
  3. Divide the batter evenly between the wells of the pan; a slightly mounded ¼-cup capacity muffin scoop is about right for each. With a small offset spatula or the tip of a table knife, spread the batter to the edges of each well. There should be about ¼-inch of space left above the top of the batter. 
  4. Grab the handles of the pan and tap it on the counter 3 or 4 times to help the batter settle into the pan. 
  5. Bake for 24-27 minutes, until the edges are just lightly golden brown and a paring knife inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and put on a cooling rack; set a timer for 15 minutes. 
  6. After 15 minutes, gently pry the cakes away from the edges of the wells to loosen them. Use your offset spatula or a fork to lift the cakes out of the pan. Return to the rack pattern side up to cool.
Frosting 
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Whisk in the milk and almond extract until you have a thick, smooth frosting.
  2. Put 2 tablespoons of this mixture in a small bowl and add red color to your liking. Put 3 tablespoons into another bowl and color that frosting green. 
Glaze
  1. Stir an additional tablespoon of milk into the remaining frosting mixture. 
To Assemble and Present
  1. Brush the glaze all over the cakes; it should be thin enough to be somewhat sheer. Once the glaze has dried, put the colored frostings in a pastry bag with a #1 or #2 round tip, and trace the outlines of the leaves and berries. 
  2. Place the cakes on a large platter, sprinkling toasted almonds between them to simulate a wreath. 
     
Skillet and Egg Logo
Skillet and Egg Logo
Contributed By: Susan Reid

Chef Susan Reid is the food editor of Sift Magazine, a baking publication by King Arthur Baking Company. In her spare time, Susan shares some of her recipes on her blog, The Well Plated Life

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