Easter special, suitable for vegetarians

British

0.75 cup sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 8.5-ounce package almond paste, broken into pieces

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

1½ teaspoons grated orange peel

¼ teaspoon almond extract

¼ teaspoon salt

0.75 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 4 holiday cake pans. Dust pans with flour; tap out excess. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and creamy. Add almond paste, 1 piece at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in Grand Marnier, orange peel, almond extract and salt. Mix flour and baking powder in small bowl; add to batter. Beat just until blended. Spoon scant 1/3 cup batter into each of prepared pans; smooth tops. Place cakes on baking sheet. Bake cakes on sheet until tops are golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans on rack. Transfer cakes to platter.(Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.) Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Serves - 8

You may also be interested in ...