Almond Saffron Cake
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Butter or nonstick spray, for baking pans
- ⅓cup milk
- Generous ½ teaspoon saffron threads
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2cups all-purpose flour (stir flour before measuring)
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- ½teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛teaspoon salt
- 1cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
- 18-ounce can (about 1 cup) almond paste (not marzipan), or one 7-ounce tube
- 1cup confectioners’ sugar, plus additional for dusting or glazing cakes
- 5large eggs
- 18-ounce container whole-fat sour cream
- Juice of 1 orange, optional
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter or spray two 8-inch round cake pans. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm milk and add the saffron and zest. Bring to a low simmer, and remove from heat; set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
- Step 2
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat together 1 cup butter and almond paste until creamy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, and beat until fluffy, scraping down the sides. Add eggs one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Gradually add flour mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add saffron mixture, beating just until blended.
- Step 3
Pour batter into prepared cake pans, and smooth tops. Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, and remove from pans. Serve warm, dusted with confectioners’ sugar, or drizzled with orange juice mixed with 2 to 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar.
Private Notes
Comments
A wonderful recipe that produces a sophisticatedly flavored cake with a light, fine-crumbed texture that is meltingly tender. I make two cakes rather than trying to divide 5 eggs in half. Make sure your saffron is fresh and use just the 1/2 tsp indicated; overdoing it can turn what should be a subtle flavor into a medicinal taste. Skip the glaze, as a light dusting of confectioner's sugar is all that's needed. (A cake stencil will make a decorative design).
A wonderful recipe that produces a sophisticatedly flavored cake with a light, fine-crumbed texture that is meltingly tender. I make two cakes rather than trying to divide 5 eggs in half. Make sure your saffron is fresh and use just the 1/2 tsp indicated; overdoing it can turn what should be a subtle flavor into a medicinal taste. Skip the glaze, as a light dusting of confectioner's sugar is all that's needed. (A cake stencil will make a decorative design).
Since this recipe is for 2 cakes, may I cut it the recipe in 1/2 for one cake? Or may I freeze the 2nd?