Blissfully Delicious Almond Cake

Quite a few years ago I acquired a Longaberger cookbook filled with delicious recipes, beautiful photography, and creative ideas.  I had always had my eye on an almond cake recipe in the book, but had never made it.  While coming up with ideas for what to make for Memorial Day, I came across this recipe again and decided to try it.

It called for 8 oz of almond paste, which I had never used.  I searched Publix for it, and couldn't find it.  I asked several employees who searched as well, and they couldn't find it either.  I had given up and gone to the checkout line when a young employee (who I think was named Brad) came running to the counter with a can of almond paste that he had found, randomly it seemed to me, with the ice cream toppings!  I left with an appreciation for a store that still believes in customer service, which is hard to come by these days.  Too often our inquiries or questions are met with a grunt and a dismissive answer before any effort is even made to see if someone could assist...I was once again reminded why I really do love shopping there!

When I got home from the store, I started my afternoon of baking.  I made snickerdoodles, a peach and blackberry cobbler, and the almond cake.  All turned out delicious, and I think this may have been the best cake I've ever made...the ingredients make it taste gourmet, like something from your favorite bakery.  When my mom and husband tasted it, they both said it tasted like something from The Cakery, a bakery we loved in the city I grew up in.  After it cooled I inverted it on a cake stand, sprinkled it with powdered sugar, and garnished it with blueberries and raspberries.  I was going to add mint leaves, but they were out of them in the produce section...perhaps I'll have to start my own herb garden!  It was lovely, and as I said, was blissfully delicious.

Heat oven to 350 and line a 9 inch round cake pan with buttered and floured wax paper.  Cream 1 stick unsalted butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and 8 oz almond paste until light and fluffy.  Add 3 eggs, 1 tsp almond extract, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/4 tsp orange extract and mix well.  Add 1/4 cup flour and 1/3 tsp baking powder  and mix until blended.  Pour into pan and bake 40-45 minutes.  Cool in pan then invert onto serving plate.  Garnish as desired, then relax and enjoy this decadence!