Almond Torte

(Sorry for the crappy picture.  It was night when I took it and couldn't get good light!)

I do not profess to be a baker. I do love baked goods, but baking to me seems like a lot of work; lots of measuring and you have to be exactly precise. Then it seems since no two ovens are the same, it really is a crap shoot if the food will come out underdone in the middle and burned on the edges or just one big, black crisp. As you can tell, I’ve had some baking mishaps. It seems though that you get a much bigger reception when you bake something rather than make (a.k.a. cook) something. Even in this blog I find the biggest reactions to the things I make seem to be to the baked goods.

I also sort of subscribe to the school of thought that if it is not made of chocolate, it is just not worth the calories. I do enjoy an apple crisp or strawberry pie from time to time but when I am craving something sweet, more often than not it is chocolate. I tossed that chocolate philosophy out the window when I had the apricot tart in Rome. (See Anniversary Trip Part 1 post.) The sweet simplicity of that tart after a big meal made me realize that it doesn’t have to be chocolate to be irresistible.

So, when I saw the recipe for this almond torte in Everyday Food magazine, I was intrigued by its reminiscence to that simple tart. It’s a little slice of airy perfection. You could of course put chocolate on this, which only makes it that much better, but I made this torte with nothing more than berries and whipped cream; and not Cool Whip people, the whipping cream in the milk section that you beat with your hand mixer until it turns into velvety clouds of smooth, cool goodness. Not only is real whipped cream a million times tastier, it’s a thousand times cheaper. Well maybe not a thousand, I’m not a number person, so don’t take that literally except to mean that it is way less expensive.

This almond torte is surprisingly easy to make and it really is a show stopper.  This makes 8 small slices that are perfect for enjoying a treat after a cozy and filling meal.

Almond Torte

1 1/4 cups whole natural almonds (about 6 ounces), toasted
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, blend almonds and cornstarch until finely ground, about 15 seconds. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Gently fold in almond mixture. In another large bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third the whites into almond mixture; fold almond mixture into remaining whites just until combined. Pour batter into a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan.

For the whipped topping:  take a 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, beat with an electric mixer until it becomes a little thicker and can almost stand up on its own.  Add about a tablespoon of powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and beat again until soft peaks form.  Spread over tart and top with berries.  You could also drizzle chocolate over the top.  (Original recipe calls for poached pears on top but I think it is delicious this way and easier!)  This would also be delicious with lemon curd spread on top!