M. Cunningham's Almond Butter Cake

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons soft butter or 2 teaspoons nonstick cooking spray (for greasing the cake pan)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 ounces sliced almonds (3/4 cup)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• 2 melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring regularly.
• 3 pour the melted butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar into a large bowl and stir until smooth.
• 4 crack the eggs right into the same bowl and mix until the batter is creamy and all one color.
• 5 add the salt, almond extract, vanilla extract, and flour and stir briskly until the batter is smooth.
• 6 grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
• 7 using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter from the bowl into the greased cake pan.
• 8 spread it evenly in the pan.
• 9 sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar, then the sliced almonds, over the top of the batter.
• 10 put the pan on the middle rack of the oven and set the timer for 35 minutes.
• 11 when it rings, check to see if the cake is done.
• 12 it should be light brown on top, and when you insert a toothpick in the center, it should have a few sticky crumbs adhering to it.
• 13 if the cake is not browned enough and the toothpick comes out too wet, put the cake back in the oven and check it again in another 10 minutes.
• 14 when the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool on a heatproof counter for at least 30 minutes.
• 15 cut the cake into small wedges and serve with fresh fruit.
• 16 this cake will stay fresh for about a week and will freeze indefinitely.
• 17 wrap it tightly in foil, or in a plastic bag you can seal with a zip or tie.
• 18 storing nuts: whenever you have leftover nuts, freeze them in a plastic bag closed tightly.
• 19 they will keep indefinitely in the freezer.