Almond Honey Pound Cake - Photo By Ellen Easton©2008 All Rights Reserved
Check out more of Ellen Easton's
Tea Travels™ articles and recipes.
Learn about the
History of English High Tea and more delicious
Afternoon Tea and High Tea Recipes.
Almond Honey Pound Cake
Recipe Type:
Cake,
Afternoon Tea & High Tea
Yields: makes 1 cake
Prep time: 20 min
Bake time: 60 min
Ingredients:
1/4 cup whole natural almonds, crushed to small bits and dust, divided
3/4 cup
cake flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon
baking powder
8 ounces almond paste
1 cup granulated
sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon almond extract
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 extra-large
eggs
1/4 cup
heavy cream
1 tablespoon honey
Granulated brown sugar
Lavender Glaze (see recipe below)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Use an 8-inch
loaf pan or bundt pan. Butter the baking pan with non-stick
vegetable spray. Sprinkle the buttered baking pan with some of the
almond dust to lightly coat the bottom and sides of the pan.
In a small bowl, mix together cake flour and baking powder, set aside.
In a food processor, break the almond paste into small pieces. Add
sugar, salt, and almond extract; mix until the batter is no longer
lumpy. NOTE: It will have a grainy appearance.
In an electric mixer with a large bowl on a low to medium speed, add
the butter and honey (1 tablespoon at a time). Stop to scrape down
the side and bottom of the bowl to insure that all is mixed
together. One at a time, add the eggs and heavy cream, beating until
combined. Add the almond paste/flour mixture (increasing the speed),
and mix until the batter is completely smooth.
Place the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle top of the
batter with more crushed almond bits and some granulated brown
sugar. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top is golden. Test
the center of the cake with an inserted wood toothpick. When removed
toothpick is clean of batter; remove cake from oven. Cool on a wire
rack for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool.
While cake is cooling, prepare the Lavender Glaze.
Lavender Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed
lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed
orange juice
1 tablespoon edible culinary
Lavender buds/flowers
In a small saucepan over a medium-low heat, mix together the powdered sugar,
lemon juice, orange juice, and lavender. Bring just to a boil;
remove from stove. Using a small strainer, strain lavender
buds/flowers out of the glaze; discarding them.
Drizzle the warm Lavender Glaze over the top of the cooled cake. Decorate and
serve.