Almond Cake with Strawberry Sauce

I felt like a winner when I found strawberries on a special at the store, @$3.79 for two quart containers. I designate this to be a strawberry week. This Strawberry Sauce is versatile and perfect for a simple but delicious Almond Cake.   

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 very fine spring day.   

Cook's Notes: Using high-quality extra virgin olive oil ensures the cake is rich, flavorful, and moist. The thick texture of buttermilk provides structure to the batter, making it 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 flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, buttermilk, 1/2 cup sugar, and the almond extract until sugar is dissolved. (Test by rubbing the mixture between two fingers.) Stir in the flour mixture.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut almond mixture. Bake for 22 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the 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 of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of orange juice. Whisk into thawed strawberries. Add in 1 teaspoon of good-quality dark balsamic vinegar. 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 the strawberry sauce, and refrigerate until serving.

Another winning sauce, Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

Celebrate spring with the sweet tart taste of rhubarb with strawberries. This sauce is versatile, used as jam on muffins, over ice cream or pound cake, or as a side for meats and poultry. The sauce can be pureed in a blender to make it smooth, or pulse a few times in a blender and leave some chunks remaining in the sauce. The sauce will thicken as it is refrigerated for several hours. For a fun serve, use a margarita glass to hold a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzle sauce over it. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups diced rhubarb and 2 cups diced strawberries
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
• ½ tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon grated orange or lemon zest
• Dash of cinnamon

Directions:

• In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water and stir to dissolve.
• Add rhubarb and simmer on low 15 minutes, add in strawberries, lemon juice, zest and cinnamon. Cook 10 minutes longer.
• Remove from the heat and add in Grand Marnier.
• Puree in a blender, keeping some in chunks.
• Refrigerate to thicken.