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Almond Layer Cake
(Mandeltorte)
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| What You Need: |
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CAKE
1½ cups blanched almonds
2 tablespoons butter, softened
4 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
2 whole eggs
6 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
6 egg whites
GLAZE AND FILLING
2¼ cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 egg white
2 tablespoons rum
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup raspberry or strawberry jam
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the almonds in a shallow roasting pan or jelly-roll pan and toast them in the oven, turning them occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Pulverize the nuts in an electric blender or with a nut grinder or a mortar and pestle, and set them aside.
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2. With a pastry brush or paper towel, lightly coat the bottom and sides of two round 8-inch layer-cake pans with 1 tablespoon of soft butter each. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs into each pan, tip the pans from side to side to spread the crumbs evenly, then invert the pans, and rap them gently on a table to remove the excess crumbs. Set the pans aside.
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3. With an electric mixer, a whisk or rotary beater, beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture is thick enough to fall back on itself in a slowly dissolving ribbon when the beater is lifted from the bowl. Then beat in the flour and ground almonds.
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4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk, rotary or electric beater until they form firm unwavering peaks on the beater when it is lifted from the bowl. With a rubber spatula, gently but thoroughly fold the egg whites into the egg yolk batter using an over-under cutting motion rather than a stirring motion. Pour the batter into the cake pans and spread it out evenly.
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5. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 5 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the outside edges of the cakes, and turn them out on a rack. Cool completely.
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6. Meanwhile, combine the confectioners' sugar, egg white, rum and lemon juice in a large bowl. Beat these ingredients together with a whisk or a rotary beater for about 5 minutes, or until they are smooth and as thick as heavy cream. If the glaze seems too thin, beat in additional confectioners' sugar, a teaspoonful at a time.
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7. To assemble, place one of the layers in the center of a large serving platter. With a small metal spatula or a knife, spread raspberry or strawberry jam over the cake. Set the other layer on top, and coat it with the rum glaze.
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