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Almond Rum Cake

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup raw unblanched almonds

1 cup unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg (or 2 — see above)

11/2 teaspoons almond extract (divided use)

1 teaspoon Rain’s Choice pure Vanilla Extract

3/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream

1/2 cup rum

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons milk

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted in an un-greased pan until lightly browned

Instructions

Grind raw almonds in a food processor until mealy in consistency. Set aside.

Mix flour with baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Cream butter with sugar. Beat in eggs, and then add 1 teaspoon almond extract, vanilla extract, sour cream, rum and ground almonds.

Combine flour mixture with butter-sugar-almond mixture, stirring only enough to make a thick batter. It should retain some lumps. (They will bake away; over- stirring will toughen the cake.) Pour into buttered and floured 9 inch springform pan*, top with sliced almonds and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Mix confectioner’s sugar with milk and remaining ½ teaspoon of almond extract. Remove cake from oven, pour confectioner’s sugar mixture over cake, and return to oven for another 5 minutes or until cake seems firm and not runny inside. (A knife or cake tester will not emerge clean from this cake since it is so moist.)**

Notes

Advance Preparation: This cake tastes best prepared the day before, and continues to stay moist and delicious for three days.

* Cover the outside bottom of the spring form with foil to prevent leakage.

** I personally prefer to cover the top with powdered sugar before serving. Choose whichever finish you like best.