It’s hard to believe, but it’s almost July, and this Saturday is the Fourth, ensuring all the traditional festivities like fireworks, picnics and patriotic color overload.
So, in the spirit of Independence Day, this week’s Tasty Tuesday recipe is Berry Almond Cake, a twist on angel food cake that adds berries and almond flour, rather than the conventional all-purpose.
Really, any kind of berries could be used in this cake, but I opted for strawberries and blueberries — I imagine peaches and a pinch of cinnamon would be equally delicious.
Almond flour, while it may sound obscure, really makes this recipe. If you’re in a bind, you could easily substitute it with all-purpose flour, but almond flour (sometimes labeled in grocery stores as “almond meal”), composed of very finely ground almonds, adds a subtle nuttiness to the cake. I found almond meal in the bulk bins at Central Market.
Light, fluffy and not overly sweet, berry almond cake is the perfect conclusion to any Fourth of July picnic.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup egg whites (6 to 8 large)
- 1 cup raw sugar
- 2 cups almond flour
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups fresh berries
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 1/2-inch pan. Set aside.
- Place the egg whites in the bowl. Using a stand or hand-held mixer, beat the whites at a low speed until frothy. Gradually increase the speed to high while slowly adding the sugar and whisking until the egg whites form soft peaks. This will probably take between eight and 10 minutes of constant attention.
- Mix in the almond flour, lemon zest, cornstarch and salt until well-combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the berries on top. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until the cake is firm and golden and begins to pull away from the side of the pan (35 to 40 minutes).
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 12.
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