Almond Cake

Almost everyone who bakes usually has a good plain/pound cake recipe - something that you can have with tea, or when you want a light snack and something that the whole family enjoys. This cake is my to go favourite all rounder cake; not only is it a great cake for everyday occasions, but I almost always make it as a secondary cake for parties (especially Eid) for people who would like to have something light for dessert and might not prefer fudgy chocolate cakes. It can easily be made ahead and kept for at least 3-4 days (provided there's enough left :) ). 

Almond Cake

Enough for one 8 inch or 9 inch round pan; one loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2)
Recipe can be doubled for one 13x9 rectangular baking pan (this is how I usually make it because its a family favourite)
Ingredients (For reference, 8 oz = 1 cup)

6 oz flour (3/4 cup)

6 oz sugar (3/4 cup)

5 oz vegetable oil (1/2 cup + 1/8 cup) - don't use olive oil 

3 eggs

1.5 teaspoon baking powder

4 tbsp coarsely ground almonds (can be reduced - my family loves almonds, so I add more)

(I have a manual nuts mill which I use to coarsely grind the almonds - I like the crunchy texture in the mouth so I coarsely ground the almonds but can be processed more finely based on personal preference)

Almond essence - 1/4 teaspoon (can be increased to 1/2 teaspoon if a stronger almond flavor is preferred)

Vanilla essence - 2 drops

Sliced Almonds - about 1/2 cup (I prefer slicing them with the skin on, since it creates a better contrast with the white cake, but its easier to slice them if the almonds are blanched in hot water and skins removed) 

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 200 C. Line baking pan with parchment paper and grease well with oil/butter.  

2. Sift flour and baking powder together.

3. Beat sugar and oil together till mixed - about 2 minutes. 

4. Add eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. 

5. Add ground almonds, almond essence and vanilla essence and mix well.

6. Add flour and baking mixture and fold with a spatula or wooden spoon.

7. Pour into baking tray

8. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top for garnish - they will get toasted in the oven and get crisp. If you prefer the almonds untoasted, then you can add them in the end after taking out the cake. 

9. Bake at 200 C for 25 - 30 minutes till skewer comes out with moist crumbs. If recipe is doubled for 13x9 inch pan, then it needs to be baked for about 35 - 40 minutes.

10. Cool on a wire rack.

11. Once cake is cooled, it can be glazed with an almond syrup which adds a light crunchy & sweet texture to the cake. 

Almond Glaze

1 cup icing sugar/confectioner's sugar

1/2 - 1 tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon almond essence

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the almond essence and enough water to create a glaze with the consistency of light cream (should coat the back of a spoon). Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake.
Note: It is essential to sift the icing sugar, otherwise there will be lumps in the final product. 

Swedish Visiting Cake

I always used to look up recipes online. That used to be the best source available, or another option would be our cooking channels which while doing a great service of creating awareness about different cuisines & new ingredients take too much as they are shot in 'real-time'.
Based on this difficulty of finding good recipes and losing recipes because of spilled cake batter, I decided that I should invest in a baking book. So after lots of "googling" and reading about a hundred reviews/lists of "best baking books ever" I finally decided on getting the following book which turned out to be my best investment ever.
Update: I now have a bookshelf of cooking books, procured from Urdu Bazaar, ordered online and delivered through relatives abroad, or while wandering around in Sunday Bazaar.

Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Green Span

I have read this book page by page recipe by recipe twice. Every recipe in this book has been meticulously explained with the author giving an interesting anecdote/story/background to the recipe with little notes on the side detailing multiple variations/playing around that can be done with the recipe. 

This is such a simple cake, but the sprinkling of almonds and sugar of top elevates it to another level.

Swedish Visiting Cake
Ingredients:
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for preparing pan (I used 100 gms of Nurpur Butter)
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)
1/2 tsp almond essence (optional)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sliced almonds; preferably unblanched, since the skins gives a good contrast to the white cake

Method:
Center a rack in oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy oven-proof skillet, a 9-inch round cake pan or even a pie pan. I used a 9-inch cake pan.

Pour sugar into a medium bowl. Add lemon zest and blend zest into sugar with your fingers until sugar is moist and aromatic. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Whisk in salt and vanilla and almond essence.

Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in flour. Finally, fold in melted butter. Scrape batter into prepared skillet or pan and smooth top with rubber spatula.

Scatter sliced almonds over top and sprinkle with sugar. If using a cake or pie pan, place pan on baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and a little crisp on outside; the inside will remain moist.

Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Green Span