Portuguese Almond Torte (Bolo De Amêndoa)

"Recipe by David Leite (found on Leite's Culinaria...great site for Portuguese cuisine! It's very entertaining to read Leite's recipes...he has a fun, witty way of describing the cooking processes!). This torte is made with no flour, making it very moist and dense — supposedly this is just the way the Portuguese like it! To decorate it, the chef recommends sprinkling on a bit of confectioners' sugar or spooning on some preserves and whipped cream."
 
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Ready In:
1hr 10mins
Ingredients:
10
Serves:
12
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ingredients

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directions

  • Heat oven to 350°F Grease a 10-inch springform pan with butter, line the bottom with parchment paper, and grease the paper. Coat the pan with flour and tap out the excess.
  • Blend the almonds and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor until very, very fine. Keep blending till it has the consistancy of fine corn meal. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the yolks on medium-high until very light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add the zest, salt, and cinnamon and mix until incorporated. Blend in the almond mixture and vanilla.
  • In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy then slowly whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar until the whites form soft peaks. Add a big spoonful into the almond mixture and stir to lighten. Carefully fold in the remainder of the whites until no streaks show. Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
  • Bake until the cake is golden brown and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let rest for 5 minutes before releasing the cake from the pan. Cool completely before serving. The middle will collapse some -- per Chef Leite, "that is as it should be"!

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Reviews

  1. Wow! This cake is really dense and very tasty. It's especially tasty warmed slightly and served with jam. I cheated a bit and used ground almonds to start with. Thanks!
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I grew up in rural east Texas and Louisiana before being transplanted to the beautiful state of Kentucky at the age of 17....so for the most part, my 'hard drive' is programmed for rich, southern style food. Recipes for things like mashed potatoes, cream gravy, pot roast, chicken fried steak and chili are burned in to my DNA!! ?I will never deny my love for rich, southern foods and I'm not a fan of stripping away all the fat and flavor in order to lighten up my favorite southern staples, however (fortunately) my culinary horizons expand beyond my roots and I love finding new foods and new ways of cooking that are just as delicious and in many cases much healthier. ?I do receive an incredible amount of joy from feeding others....a trait I definately attribute to my southern roots.
 
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