Our “surrogate” parents were over from the UK last week and there was lots of eating, drinking and being merry. We’ve always called them our surrogates, which is most definitely stretching the truth but let’s just say they’re our favourite faux parents.
There was also a lot of cake, and namely this cake because I just can’t get enough of it which is weird because when I was a kid, I used to hate marzipan, the way I hate tofu now (as in with a vegeance and a gag reflex) but these days I’m a marzipan addict. It’s like me and marzipan are making up for all that lost time.
So we were talking the surrogates and us, about tastebuds and how your tastebuds change over time. Geoff’s mum used to have a gin and tonic every day and one day, she just didn’t care for the taste anymore. Just like that. It reminded me of my love/hate relationship with marzipan, only in reverse.
Every time I go home, my mum’s tastebuds are tweaking as she matures, but one thing is for sure, she still loves marzipan so I’ve made this cake in her honour on a number of occasions, and as she’s a tad too far to eat her share, I totally took one for the team and ate her slice!
This is a cracker of a cake and would make a refreshing but delicious change from a regular Christmas cake. However, this cake is way too good to be baked only once a year, think of it as a hardy perennial! Oh, and this is one of those brilliant bakes that gets better over time. It’s the perfect make ahead bake!
Incidentally, if you’re looking for more Christmas deliciousness and you love free stuff, you should totally bob on over to a Cooker and a Looker where you’ll find the 12 Days of Christmas Ebook.
It’s packed full of recipes for tasty treats from Amanda’s foodie friends (including me!) and like the best things in life, it’s totally FREE! Don’t delay, download it today!
Now back to the cake…
Ingredients
100g unsalted butter, softened
65g caster sugar
200g marzipan
3 eggs
120g almond meal
120g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
115g cranberries
25g flaked almonds
icing sugar, for dusting
How to – Traditional
- Preheat oven to 180°C /160C fan-forced. Grease and line the base of a 20cm springform tin.
- Put all the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Crumble or break the marzipan into small pieces and add to the bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides from time to time.
- Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl and gradually add to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides as before.
- Gently fold in ground almonds with a metal spoon.
- Sift in flour and baking powder and fold in with metal spoon. As soon as the flour is incorporated, stir through the cranberries until just mixed through. Don’t over mix.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and smooth the top. Scatter the flaked almonds over the top.
- Place in oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until risen and golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If the cake is browning too quickly, lightly cover with foil.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin and then carefully unclip the tin side and allow the cake to cool completely. Once cold, wrap in baking paper or foil and store overnight in an airtight container. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
How to – Thermomix
- Preheat oven to 180°C /160C fan-forced. Grease and line the base of a 20cm springform tin.
- Place butter in TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 7. Insert butterfly and add sugar. Mix for 30 seconds on speed 4. Scrape down base and sides of bowl and mix again for another 30 seconds on speed 4.
- Remove the butterfly. Crumble or break the marzipan into small pieces and add to TM bowl. Mix for 10 seconds on speed 4. Scrape down base and sides of bowl. Mix again for 10 seconds on speed 5.
- With the blades running on speed 3, add the eggs one at a time through the hole in the lid. This should take about 45 seconds.
- Add the almonds to TM bowl and mix for 5 seconds on speed 4. Scrape down sides and base of bowl.
- Add the flour and baking powder and mix for 10 seconds on speed 4. Scrape down sides of bowl.
- Add cranberries and mix for 10 seconds on reverse speed 3 using the spatula to assist.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and smooth the top. Scatter the flaked almonds over the top.
- Place in oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until risen and golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If the cake is browning too quickly, lightly cover with foil.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin and then carefully unclip the tin side and allow the cake to cool completely. Once cold, wrap in baking paper or foil and store overnight in an airtight container. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
TIP!
If you’re using a Thermomix, you can mill raw almonds to almond meal. Just add almonds to TM bowl and blitz for 10-15 seconds on speed 7 and then set aside before you start.
