Lemon Almond Cake

I've starting making almond milk so now I need to figure out what to do with the leftover almond paste.  Yes, I can compost it or feed it to the chickens but it's still edible and almonds from the farmers market aren't cheap.  So I remembered my mother-in-law making a cake using store-bought almond paste.  I searched through my cookbooks for similar recipes and tweaked them a bit.  My almond milk paste waste worked perfectly.  It turned out phenomenal!  Moist, super light, and a little lemony:

1 1/2 cups evaporated cane sugar
8 ounces (weighed) almond paste from making almond milk
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup butter, at room temperature, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
zest of 1 large lemon (or orange or limes)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 eggs from the backyard chickens

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9- or 10-inch cake or spring form pan with butter, dust it with flour and tap out any excess. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper.

In a food processor, pulse the sugar, almond paste, and 1/4 cup of flour until it looks like sand. 

Add the butter, zest and vanilla extract, and process until the batter is smooth and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides as needed.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup of flour, baking powder and salt.

Add half the flour mixture and pulse until just combined, then add the rest, pulsing until just combined (do not over mix).

Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake the cake for 65 minutes, or until the top is deep brown and feels set in the center.

Remove the cake from the oven and run a sharp or serrated knife around the perimeter, losing the cake from the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool completely in the pan. Once cool, tap the cake out of the pan, remove the parchment paper, and set on a cake plate until ready to serve.

Lovely on its own or serve with mulberry compote or sliced strawberries and whipped cream, or drizzle with an elderflower glaze.

Adapted from Chez Panisse Desserts & Lindsay Remolif Shere