Almond Cornmeal Sponge Cake with Honeyed Almond Topping

 

I'm a genius.  Yes, every now and then my modesty kicks in, but not today.  Here's a little concoction I came up with to make use of the almond flour I bought this weekend.  This cake is SO moist, it's ridiculous.  Works both as a coffee cake or dessert. Either way you want to slice it up, it's a winner.

Almond Cornmeal Sponge Cake with Honeyed Almond Topping

sponge cake
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tsp. almond extract
1-1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup white cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

honeyed almond topping
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp. water

Cream butter and sugar until smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next.  Mix in the milk and almond extract.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend together until well mixed.  The batter will be grainy and not smooth.

Prepare a 9x13" pan (grease sides and line with parchment paper).  Pour batter and spread evenly in pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let sit for a minute.  Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and then flip out onto a lined cookie sheet and allow to cool.

 

While the cake is cooking, toast the sliced almonds.  I did mine on the stovetop with a dry (unprepared) skillet.

 

Takes about 8-10 minutes over medium heat.  Stir constantly to keep from burning.  When they start to brown, remove skillet from heat and transfer toasted almonds to a small bowl.

Toss the almonds with the cinnamon while they are still warm.

Stir in the honey and water and set aside until ready to use.

NOTES

Almond flour is very moist and crumby.  Unless you are using it as the base for a crust, for which it is perfectly suited, almond flour needs a baking companion in the form of a more powdery flour to handle moisture absorption. Trust me, I learned this the hard way.

Also found out that almond flour is VERY expensive (I paid $17 for a one-pound bag).  So even though I believe every day can be considered a special occasion, I would not use this for everyday baking but recommend saving it for a super duper fancy occasion (like having a hard day and you deserve a treat).