Almond Coffee Cake

My first thought, the second I opened my eyes when I woke up at 6:30 a.m. this morning, was "hooray, it's Sunday!!!"  Which I actually even said out loud.  Let's just agree that's weird and move on.

And then I hopped right out of bed and made this cake (can we also agree cake is a totally sane reason to hop out of bed please?).

I love the richness, texture, and flavor this cake gets just from ground almonds.  It is delicious on its own, but this time I dotted the top with a few mulberries, which are currently making an appearance at my local farmer's market.  

This cake pairs perfectly with a good cup of coffee.  

Almond Coffee Cake

3/4 cup whole almonds

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted 

1/3 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/3 cup fresh berries (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour an 8-inch cake pan. 

Process the almonds in a food processor until finely ground (keep an eye on them while the blade is running - you don't want to end up with almond butter).  Whisk the ground almonds, flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.  

Combine the melted butter, milk, and almond extract in a liquid measure and set aside. 

Beat the eggs and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until you reach the ribbon stage (the mixture will look thick and pale lemon yellow in color).  Add the milk mixture and stir to combine, then stir in the flour mixture until combined. 

Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan.  Decorate the top with fresh berries if you wish.  Bake for about 50 minutes, until the cake is golden on top and the cake springs back lightly when you press the center.  

This cake is excellent when served warm, but allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the pan.  Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.