The Almond Cake

This is one of my favorite go-to desserts. Not only is it delicious, but it is also super easy to make, and it is gluten free, for all of those intolerant people out there. Served with ice cream, a coulis, warm chocolate sauce, or as in this case, vanilla bean crème anglaise, it pairs with so many flavors perfectly, and is a treat to eat.

Almond Cake: 125g Butter, softened 200g Sugar 2 pinch of salt 250g Almond powder 5 Eggs 1t Vanilla extract 1 Shot Armagnac, Cognac, Or Rum

Toasted sliced almonds Preheat your oven to 350F or 180C Butter a cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter with the sugar and salt until well incorporated. Next, add the almond powder and eggs. Mix well. Finish by adding the vanilla and alcohol of your choice. Sprinkle some toasted almonds at the bottom of the cake pan and pour the batter on top. Smooth the batter to make it even and place it into the preheated oven. Bake until the batter sets and becomes golden brown. Cool before turning the cake pan upside down to unmold. Vanilla Bean Crème Anglaise: 250g Heavy cream (30% fat) 250g Milk 1 Vanilla bean 6 Egg yolks 120g Sugar 1 Pinch of salt Heat the milk, cream, and vanilla bean with half of the sugar until scalded. Meanwhile, whisk the yolks together with the other half of the sugar until they lighten in color. About 1-2 minutes. Pour a little of the scalded milk mixture over the yolks while continuously whisking. Add more of the milk in stages while still whisking until it is incorporated. Make sure everything is well mixed. Next, pour the mixture back into the pot and on medium heat, use a rubber spatula to stir continuously until it reaches 85C and thickens, careful to be sure nothing burns to the bottom. Pour your crème anglaise through a strainer into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap so that it touches the crème anglaise directly. Place it into the fridge to cool. Serve the cake with the cooled crème anglaise, toasted almond slices, and fresh raspberries