Christmas Tree Almond Cake

I baked this cake for my grandma one Christmas, because she loves having cake in the morning with her coffee. The recipe come from a Williams-Sonoma cookbook, Essentials of Baking, and it was so tasty! The sugar, cinnamon and crushed almond topping wonderfully accented the almond flavor of the cake. It makes one 9-inch cake!

Ingredients:

1 cup cake (soft-wheat) flour

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 oz almond paste
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
6 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Position rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch decorative tube pan or Budnt pan.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, break up the almond paste, and then add the granulated sugar and butter. Beat on mdium-high speed until the mixture is light and creamy (about 5 minutes). Add the eggs in, on at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture may look curdled, but this is normal. Beat in the vanilla.
4. Add one-half of the dry ingredients and, using a rubber spatula, fold in gently until almost fully incorporated. Folding is done by using a light lifting motion with the spatula and continuously turning the bowl. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and fold into batter. Do not fold too vigorously, or the cake will be tough. The purpose of folding is to keep in as much air as possible, so the cake is light!
5. Spread the butter in the prepared pan. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (about 40-45 minutes). Watch the time closely towards the end to prevent overbaking.
6. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake and invert them together. Cover the cake with a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel so that the outside does not dry out as it cools.
7. Dust Confectioners' sugar on top of the cooled cake, or serve it plain! I added a topping made of 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup finely crushed almonds, and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Enjoy!!