Candied Almond Cake

We buy “gebrannte Mandeln” on Christmas Markets or Fairs. They are usually filled in a cone shaped paper bag and should still be a little warm. The smell reminds me of my childhood. Warm nuts, cinnamon and caramel. You find this heartwarming taste between some layers of almond sponge, in a candied Almond Buttercream. Every effort and calorie worth it!

Candied Almond Cake
´gebrannte Mandel Torte`

for a smaller, 18cm Cake
(double the ingredients and adjust the baking time for a bigger cake)

ingredients

tart base with nuts
2 egg whites
30g of sugar
50g of ground almonds
50g of sugar
15g of flour
10g of butter
50ml of Amaretto

almond sponge
3 eggs
125 of sugar
125g of ground almonds
3 egg whites
17g of sugar
35g of flour
25g of butter

butter cream
150g of sugar
40g of water
2 egg yolks
1 egg
300g of soft butter
200g of candied almonds
100g of almond slices

steps

For the nut base (top and bottom layer of the tart) beat egg whites with 30g of sugar until stiff. Mix ground almonds with 50g of sugar and flour and stir delicately into the beaten egg white. Melt butter and add to the mixture.
Divide the dough onto two buttered 18cm baking pans or tart rings and bake at 180° for about 20 minutes.

For the almond sponge beat eggs, sugar and ground almonds with a hand mixer until frothy.
Beat egg whites and sugar until stiff and delicately stir into the mass. Add flour and melted butter as well.
Divide half of the dough onto two buttered baking pans or tart rings and bake at 220° for about 10 minutes until they are golden-brown. Repeat with the second half of the dough, so that 4 sponge bases have been baked.

For the butter cream bring to boil water and sugar in a pot and simmer for about 3 minutes (for those who have a thermometer, 121°C are perfect).
Beat egg yolk and egg with a hand mixer until frothy and while beating slowly add the liquid sugar. Continue to beat for about 5 minutes, and then gradually add the soft butter, still beating.
Put 150g of the candied almonds together with a big spoon of butter cream into the electric blender and grind until you get a dark brown mush. Chop up the rest of the 50g of almonds.
Put aside a good third of the butter cream and mix the rest with the almond mush and the chopped almonds.

Brush one of the two nut bases with amaretto, spread with the almond butter cream and put one of the sponge bases on top. Also brush with amaretto and spread with almond cream. Repeat until all four sponge bases are layered. Cover with the second nut base. Cover with butter cream and decorate with almond slices.