Toasted Almond Angel Food Cake
4 Tbsp almond flour (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill)
6 Tbsp almond slivers
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 cups egg whites, about 14 eggs
1 tsp cream or tartar, dissolved in 1 tsp warm water
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp vanilla paste
1 tsp almond extract
1) In a cast iron pan, toast the almond flour and almond slices, stirring often until they are aromatic and golden in color. Remove them from the pan and cool completely. (I place mine directly from the pan onto a parchment-lined sheet and pop them in the freezer briefly to fully cool)
2) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
3) In a food processor, pulse 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the toasted and cooled almond flour and almonds, and 1 cup of all-purpose flour to a fine grind. Set aside.
4) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites at medium-high until foamy, about 1 minute. With the mixer running, add the cream of tartar (dissolved in 1 tsp of warm water) and sea salt. Increase the mixer to high and slowly add the remaining 1 cup sugar until soft peaks form. Add in the vanilla paste and almond extract. Do not over mix – you want soft peaks.
5) Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a large balloon whisk (or French whisk), fold in the flour mixture in 4 additions until just combined. Pour the batter into an ungreased removable-bottom tube pan.
6) Bake on the center rack until the cake is golden and firm to the touch – about 35-40 minutes. Immediately invert the pan and let it cool completely. This may take up to two hours. Using an offset spatula, loosen the cake from the sides of the pan, remove the cake and cut to release the bottom. Invert your cake onto a cake pan.
