Almond bread

This is an almond quick bread recipe I made a few days ago.  It was one of a handful of recipes I keep in a manila folder in my kitchen cabinet filled with recipes that I rip out from magazines.  This recipe dates back to the Oct. 2012 issue of Cooking Light.  It caught my attention because I love baked goods with almonds and almond paste is one of my favorite ingredients.  I love trying recipes that use almond paste because I'm rarely disappointed, and this one didn't either.

I'm undecided as to whether this should be called almond "bread" or "cake" because I enjoyed it like cake but then I think of banana bread, which I enjoy in a similar way but would never think of calling cake.  I have actually made a version of almond cake before, which does have more fat and sugar than this recipe so maybe bread is the right term to use in this case.

All that confusion and rambling aside, I'll just say this bread/cake was moist, with a really good dense (not heavy) texture thanks to the almond paste. That almond paste really gives it a bite, almost a chewiness, that I just can't get enough of.

If you're interested in a lighter alternative to pound cake, this is a wonderful option.  It tastes a lot like a light pound cake - something a bit less sweet and rich.  It's full of fragrant, almond flavor instead of being buttery (though there's nothing wrong with that).  It's also like a heartier chiffon cake, one of my all-time favorites. I added a dash of almond extract out of habit to underscore the almond flavor.  For another dimension, you could certainly throw in some lemon or orange zest.

I omitted a glaze on top of this almond bread based on personal preference; I'm not big on glazes. What I did keep was the sliced almonds on top, which add a great crunch.  If you bake the almond bread and allow it to cool to room temperature, please cut yourself a slice while the outer crust is altogether crisp and crunchy, shattering under your knife.  I just love that contrast in texture.

My fellas enjoyed this for breakfast (it's "bread", right?) but also being very similar to a classic Italian almond cake, I like it as dessert.  Don't you love it when you make something that can be enjoyed any time of day!


I have a good feeling about any recipe that starts off looking like this:

It's a good 7 ounces of moist almond paste (I prefer the canned variety).  In this case, it's been combined with 2/3 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of butter, and 2 tablespoons of canola oil.  Don't skimp on the sugar in this recipe, particularly if you omit the sweet glaze on top of the baked bread like I did. If you'd like to add a little additional flavor, you can add some lemon or orange zest at this point.

Once the eggs, dry ingredients, milk, and a bit of vanilla and almond extracts are added, my batter is done.  It looks lovely and thick.

Sprinkle on about 1/4 cup of sliced almonds (should you not have sliced almonds, I think some coarse sugar on top would be adequate substitute) and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes when it's golden brown and the a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with some moist crumbs attached.  Avoid over-baking for obvious reasons.

This really is like pound cake without that pound of butter and that heavy feeling you get after eating a slice!  For anyone who wants to make a trifle, this would be absolutely wonderful as the cake base, layered with some jam and whipped cream.

I know it's the dog days of summer but this cake (I mean, bread!) is really good with a cup of fresh hot coffee in the evening with the air conditioner on full blast.  I couldn't get enough of it and I'm more than happy to add this to my list of almond paste recipes!


Recipe:

Almond Bread
Adapted from the October 2012 issue of Cooking Light

- For one standard loaf (9x5-inch or 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch like I used) - 

6.75 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 ounces almond paste (I prefer canned almond paste)
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup sliced almonds (you could jazz up the almond topping like this)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a standard loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a mixing bowl.  

Place the almond paste, sugar, butter, and oil into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat at medium-speed until well combined, about 3 minutes.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl as needed.  Add vanilla and almond extracts and mix to combine.  

On low speed, add half the flour mixture, the milk, then the last half of the flour mixture.  Beat until just combined, scraping the bowl.

Scrape the thick batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing out the top. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds.  Bake until bread is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes.

Cool loaf pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan and letting cool completely on a wire rack.  I love a fresh slice of this bread just-cooled when the top is crunchy and crisp.  Store almond bread, tightly wrapped, at room temperature, for up to 3 days.