It’s lovely for afternoon tea. Be careful not to overbeat the egg whites – they should be white and very foamy, but not at all stiff or able to hold peaks. If you beat them too much, the cake may sink in the middle as it cools.
Ingredients (serves 10)
Cake
1 ½ cups whole almonds, toasted (see Tip)
4 large eggs, at room temperature (see Tip), separated
½ cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Topping
2 tbsp honey
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted (see Tip)
Method
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Coat a springform pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with baking paper and spray the paper.
Process whole almonds in a food processor or blender until finely ground (you will have about 1¾ cups ground). Beat four egg yolks, ½ cup honey, vanilla, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add the ground almonds and beat on low until combined.
Beat four egg whites in another large bowl with the electric mixer (use clean beaters on a hand-held mixer or the whisk attachment on a stand mixer) on medium speed until very foamy, white and doubled in volume, but not stiff enough to hold peaks, one to two minutes (depending on the type of mixer). Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the nut mixture until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and gently remove the side ring. Let cool completely.
If desired, remove the cake from the pan bottom by gently sliding a large, wide spatula between the cake and the baking paper. Carefully transfer the cake to a serving platter. To serve, drizzle the top of the cake with honey and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
Recipe Tips & Notes:
Tip: To toast whole almonds, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 180ºC, stirring once, until fragrant, seven to nine minutes. To toast sliced almonds, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, two to four minutes.
Note: Eggs must be at room temperature for the proteins to unwind enough to support the cake’s crumb. Either set the eggs out on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge them in their shells in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for five minutes before using.
