Almond Cake with Fresh Strawberry Sauce

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.

Emily Bronte

Almond Cake with Fresh Strawberry Sauce
Easy cake, no mixer needed and hands-on 20 minutes. Perfect for your next coffee or tea break. It's a good excuse to invite a friend over to share a piece on a late summer day.  

Cook's Notes: Using a high-quality extra virgin olive oil ensures the cake is rich, flavorful, and moist. The thick texture of buttermilk provides structure to the batter, for a cake that's tangy and light. Almond flour and lemon zest add a flavorful dimension to the cake. A spoonful of fresh strawberry fruit sauce over the cake is the piece de resistance.
Recipe adapted from BHG
Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup almond meal or flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest 
• 1/4 cup almonds and 1/4 cup coconut, toasted

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Coat an 8-inch cake pan with nonstick baking spray. In a bowl whisk together flours, baking powder, lemon zest and salt.
• In a large bowl whisk together eggs, oil, buttermilk, 1/2 cup sugar, and the almond extract. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. (Test by rubbing the mixture between two fingers.) Stir in the flour mixture.
• Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with toasted coconut almond mixture. Bake 22 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cake cool completely in pan on a wire rack. 

Strawberry Sauce (enough for 4-6 cake servings)

• Thaw one container or package of frozen strawberries. Place in a saucepan. 
• Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1/4 cup orange juice. Whisk into thawed strawberries. Cook over low heat until thickened. Fold in 1 cup sliced strawberries, mix well and heat 1 minute longer. 
• Optional: Add 1-2 teaspoons cherry flavored brandy. Mix, cool strawberry sauce and refrigerate until serving.
  

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