almond bundt cake

anything almond has to be one of my most favorite flavors.  i love the nuts, almond flavoring for cookies and cakes, and the almond taste of this cake.  the recipe comes from a very cute bundt cake book given to me by a friend this year, along with a bundt pan.

this bundt pan comes highly recommended, since the shape of the pan allows for very easy slicing and small size cake servings.  i truly like this pan, and the ease in which the bundt cake removes from it.  i had no trouble placing the bundt on my thanksgiving serving pedestal dish.

to make this almond cake, which is perfect for a bundt pan:  take 2/3 cup of sliced almonds and grind them in a mini processor with 2 tablespoons of white sugar.

next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  add 2 cups flour and 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder to a mixing bowl.  add 1/2 teaspoon salt and set aside.

then, in an electric mixer, cream 3/4 cup unsalted butter and 1 3/4 cup sugar together.. add 3 eggs, one at a time to the bowl.  beat well.  then add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to the mixture. 

add alternately to the bowl, 1 1/4 cups whole milk and the flour mixture to form a cake batter. add the nuts. transfer the batter to the bundt pan that has been coated with cooking spray and flour, filling every line and crack. 

bake for at least 40 minutes up to 55 minutes until done.  at the end of the cooking time, as the cake browns on the top, cover loosely with foil, but continue to bake until done with a cake tester.  cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, and then plate on the serving platter to cool the remainder of time.

to glaze with a vanilla glaze:  in a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar with 3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract.  add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until the glaze forms and the mixture is thin enough to drizzle on a cake.