Almond Cake With Roasted Pineapple And Vanilla Cream Recipe Epicuriouscom

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger and salt. In large bowl, beat 1 2/3 cups sugar, eggs and 1/4 cup butter until fluffy. Mix in pineapple with syrup and 1/2 cup almonds, then dry ingredients. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool 20 minutes.
• Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and remaining 1/4 cup butter in medium bowl to blend. Spread frosting over warm cake. Sprinkle with remaining almonds.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter sides and bottoms of 2 8-inch cake or springform pans; line sides and bottoms with parchment paper. Butter paper. Place pans in freezer.
• Sift flour and salt into a small bowl. Set aside. In a mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter and granulated sugar at high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add almond paste, a little at a time at medium speed, and beat 8 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, and almond extract. Mix sour cream and baking soda and add to butter mixture. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, just until blended.
• Divide batter between prepared pans and spread evenly. Bake about 40 minutes to an hour, until tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed and cakes shrink from sides of the pans. Cool in pans on wire rack. Remove sides of pans and remove paper. When ready to serve, sift confectioners' sugar on top and slice like pie.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter six 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins. Blend almond paste and sugar in processor until well blended. Using electric mixer, beat butter in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in almond paste mixture, then honey and Tuaca. Add eggs 1 at a time, blending well between additions. Whisk flour and salt in small bowl; mix into almond paste mixture. Divide batter among prepared cups. Bake until golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly in cups. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 325°F oven for 10 minutes, if desired.)
• Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl set over pan of barely simmering water until very thick, whisking constantly, about 7 minutes.
• Pour warm zabaglione over warm or room-temperature cakes, sprinkle with toasted almonds, and serve.
• *Available in the baking-products section of most supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.
• **A citrusy, vanilla-flavored Italian liqueur; available at specialty liquor stores.

Steps:

• For cream filling:
• Bring milk and orange peel to simmer in heavy medium saucepan; remove from heat. Using electric mixer, beat yolks in large bowl to blend. With machine running, add sugar and beat until mixture is light yellow and thick, about 4 minutes. Add flour, beating until well combined. Gradually beat in hot milk mixture. Return custard to same saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer cream filling to medium bowl; press plastic wrap onto surface. Refrigerate cream filling overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• For syrup:
• Bring sugar and 1 cup water to boil in small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil 5 minutes, swirling pan occasionally. Cool syrup slightly. Stir in Grand Marnier. Cover; chill until cold. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line each pan with parchment paper round. Bring milk and butter almost to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl.
• Using electric mixer, beat eggs in large bowl on high speed 2 minutes. Gradually beat in 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until mixture is light yellow and thick, scraping down sides occasionally, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-high; add vanilla. Gradually beat in hot milk mixture in steady stream. Immediately add dry ingredients and beat until just blended, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl (batter will be thin). Mix in 3 teaspoons orange peel. Quickly divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake until cakes are golden, pull away from sides of pans, and spring back when pressed in center, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans on rack 10 minutes. Invert cakes; peel off parchment paper. Turn cakes right side up on rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic and let stand at room temperature.)
• Using small sharp knife, cut off peel and white pith from oranges. Working over strainer set over large bowl, cut between membranes to release segments. Transfer orange segments to paper towels to drain.
• Beat cream and 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl until cream holds peaks. Fold 1/2 cup whipped cream into cream filling, then fold in crushed amaretti and remaining 1 teaspoon grated orange peel. Using serrated knife, cut each cake layer horizontally in half, creating 4 layers. Place 1 layer on plate, cut side up; brush generously with syrup (about 6 tablespoons). Spread 3/4 cup filling over. Arrange 1 layer of orange segments (about 20) over filling. Repeat layering twice more with cake, syrup, filling, and orange segments. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Brush cake with syrup. Fill pastry bag fitted with large star tip with 1 cup whipped cream. Spread remaining whipped cream over top and sides of cake. Pipe cream in rosettes around top edge of cake. Cover center with orange segments. Brush oranges with melted apricot jam. Refrigerate cake 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• *Available at Italian markets and some supermarkets.

Steps:

• For ganache filling:
• Simmer cream and sugar in medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add chocolate; whisk until smooth. Chill until just spreadable, about 6 hours.
• For almond cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper; dust pans with flour. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Using heavy-duty mixer, blend brown sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat in almond paste 1 piece at a time, then beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Fold in dry ingredients. Divide batter among pans; smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack.
• For almond praline:
• Line baking sheet with foil. Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until deep amber, swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush occasionally. Mix in nuts. Pour onto foil; cool. Peel foil off praline. Chop praline coarsely. DO AHEAD Praline can be made 1 day ahead; store airtight at room temperature.
• For mascarpone frosting:
• Beat all ingredients in large bowl just to soft peaks (do not overbeat or mixture will curdle).
• Run knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out; peel off paper. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread half of ganache over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup praline. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining ganache over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup praline. Top with third cake layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD Cake can be made 1 day ahead; cover with cake dome and chill. Store remaining praline airtight at room temperature.
• For chocolate bark:
• Line baking sheet with foil. Melt chocolate in small bowl set over saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from over water. Drizzle all but 1 tablespoon chocolate over foil in thick (about 1-inch-wide) zigzag lines (chocolate will pool in spots). Sprinkle 3 tablespoons praline over chocolate; chill bark until firm, about 1 hour.
• Press praline around bottom 2 inches of cake; sprinkle more atop. Peel foil off bark; break into pieces. Press edges into frosting atop cake. Remelt 1 tablespoon chocolate over simmering water, stirring often. Using spoon, drizzle chocolate over cake. DO AHEAD Chill up to 4 hours. Serve cold or at room temperature.