a blue ribbon cake
i was almost in a panic, for i couldn’t find the recipe in my bulging file folder nor by googling. i saw this cake prepared by a guest on Sara Moulton’s late lamented “cooking live!” series, 6 years ago, a recipe that won a blue ribbon in a state fair. i was instantly won over by the ingredient that i dearly love, almond paste. ahhhh, i have fawned over it in other posts so no need to do it again. :)
after a lot of digging around i finally found it, yellowing and starting to fade so the time has come to post it.
i first made this cake for my ma who came to help our family when our #2 boybi was about to be born. her birthday was 6 days before my due date: #2son came out 3 days early.
i’ve made it for birthdays and great report cards, for anniversaries and Valentine’s. for us it needs no further embellishment other than whipped unsweetened cream, or maybe a scoop of vanilla ice cream but no doubt it would be greatly enhanced by a chocolatey buttercream.
first make the almond paste frangipane:
in the bowl of a food processor, blend 1/3 cup sliced blanched almonds, 4 ozs. almond paste, and 2 tbsps. sugar until the nuts are finely ground. add 1 egg and 2 ounces unsalted butter (at room temperature) and process until smooth. cover and freeze for at least 35 minutes. keep refrigerated until ready to use.
for the chocolate pound cake:
1 & 1/3 cups cake flour, plus more for the pan
2 tsps. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 scant cup Droste cocoa powder (Dutch-processed cocoa powder)
10 ozs. unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 350F degrees. remove the frangipane from the refrigerator. grease and lightly flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa and set aside.
using an electric mixer beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth. add the sugar and beat for 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. add the vanilla. on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk in three additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
spoon about 2 cups of the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. spoon half the frangipane filling in dollops over the center of the batter. spread the filling evenly over the batter, avoiding the center tube and the sides of the pan.
spoon about 1 & 1/2 cups more of the batter evenly over the filling and spoon the remaining frangipane over the batter.
spoon the remaining batter over the filling.
bake until the cake springs back lightly when touched in the center and just begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 60 to 65 minutes.
transfer the cake to a cooling rack, allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes then invert the cake into a serving platter and cool completely on a wire rack.
garnish with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if you so desire.
no special occasion today, unless you could call it an anti-SADD seasonal affective depression disorder occasion…
January 10th, 2006 at 6:37 pm
NAUGHTY YOU JUST GAVE ME AN IDEA WHAT TO ELEVATE MY MOODS IN THIS FREEZING WEEK
January 10th, 2006 at 6:47 pm
:glasses-slip:hi sha!
i increased the amount of cocoa to almost 1 cup, the orig. asked for only 3/4, just to get more chocolate in there….hope you like it! keep warm…:penguin:
January 10th, 2006 at 8:11 pm
I know what you mean about SADD. I think that’s why we gain weight over the inter months
I hate to admit it, but I made leche flan the other night, and Asi and I ate the whole thing just the two of us. 
It sure picked out spirits up though 
January 10th, 2006 at 10:27 pm
truly :highfive:JMom! we are so physically tired fr being cold, bracing up for it everyday:faint:
di bale, it’ll be over for sure that’s the only consolation:yes: plus chocolate and leche flan:drunk:
my Pinay na Pinay dotir too is feeling it:penguin: let’s keep cozy warm:capuccino
January 11th, 2006 at 2:03 am
Ow don’t be sadd Stel. That’s one upside of this depressing cold winters, it gives you the license to whip up something delectable sinful such as this. I could just imagine this sarap sarap!
January 11th, 2006 at 4:00 am
January 11th, 2006 at 9:29 pm
Stel, how can I resist chocolates? I love it!!! But my figure, awww, never mind.
Thanks for sharing.
January 11th, 2006 at 10:48 pm
hi Lani!:wave: di bale, JMom said, “a waist is a terrible thing to mind!”, mine disappeared decades ago, i’m still looking for it!:lol: anyway chocolate esp. dark is supposedly very very good for us heehee…:yoyo:
January 11th, 2006 at 11:26 pm
January 12th, 2006 at 11:35 pm
hola tita stel, tagal ko ng hindi nakapag kape dito sa iyong e-kitchen,well,madalas akong nadalaw hindi lang nagpaparamdam, hehe
btw, dear do you have recipe of tiramisu?
January 12th, 2006 at 11:48 pm
:glasses-slip:hello cheH, happy new year (hindi pa late, meron pang Chinese New year!
hinahanap ko nga yung iyong bagong tahanan pero kahapon ko lang nahanap…oh yes tiramisu is here in the Dec. 2004 archives, and under ‘sweets,’ but the pictures are over there at babyrambutan.blogspot.com…good luck hope you like it.