Almond Butter Cake

Thanks to Marty for this one (and her friend Janet)

NYE 2016 - Marty brought this cake for dessert and it was soooo good. The cake itself is almond-y and moist. It's a dense but delicate cake. The almond flavor is up front with a vanilla backing. The almonds on top brown in the oven to give it a delicious roasted nut flavor. Top it off with big sea salt flakes and you have a dessert that no one will forget.

February 2017 - This was so good, I've made it twice again already. For our Superbowl vacation I only had a 12-inch tart pan. The cake was a little thinner, but still worked well.

Yesterday I bought an 8-inch tart pan. The cake batter was thicker for some unknown reason and had a hard time spreading. In the end the cake had a noticeable bulge in the center. I also overcooked it by about three minutes. The cake was denser and drier than before. Everyone loved it, but lesson learned - don't overcook the cake.

Serves: 8 with generous portions, or 16 petite slices
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 90 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Nutrition panel via Wolfram Alpha
based on 8 servings:
dietary panel

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Prepare

Preheat over to 350.

Butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom.

A.	almonds, sliced	0.25 cup
		Spread the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast them in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until fragrant. They should color only lightly. Remove from oven and dump on a plate to cool.

B.	butter, unsalted	0.75 cup	melted and slightly cooled
	sugar	1.5 cup
	eggs	2 large
		Whisk together the melted butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add one egg, whisk until fully incorporated, then add the other and whisk some more.

C.	almond extract	1.5 teaspoon
	vanilla extract	1.5 teaspoon
	salt	0.25 teaspoon
		Add the almond extract, vanilla, and salt, and whisk well, until smooth.

D.	flour	1.5 cups
		With a rubber spatula, fold in the flour until just combined.

E.	sea salt flakes	pinch	Maldon or similar. You want big flakes, not hard crystals.
	sugar	1 tablespoon
		Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and scatter the toasted almonds, sea salt flakes, and sugar over the top. Bake for 35 minutes, until the cake peeking through the almonds takes on a faintly rosy color (this cake blushes more than it browns), and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack until nearly room temperature, then ease the cake out of the pan and cool the rest of the way. Cover and store at room temperature for up to five days.