Kareen Grondin's recipe for almond coffee cake
An exceptional collaboration
Despite conditions that are not conducive to celebrations, the holiday season is here. So never mind, we wanted to offer you some gourmet inspiration! To do so, we collaborated with Kareen Grondin, a name that may ring a bell...
A true epicurean, Kareen honed her skills alongside chefs Michael Laiskonis and Patrice Demers. You may also have seen her on Ricardo's TV shows, for which she helped develop recipes for many years.
A local bakery
At a time when promoting and supporting our local artisans is more important than ever, we challenged Kareen to come up with two exclusive recipes that would showcase Avril, the very first almond liqueur or amaretto made here in Quebec. The result is two extremely delicious and unexpected creations that you can make at home during the holiday season.
Below, discover the ingredients and preparation steps for the Almond and Spice Coffee Cake, which we recommend enjoying with our Amaretto Chai coffee or a Mère Melade espresso by Café TOUCHÉ.
The recipe
INGREDIENTS FOR 8 SMALL CAKES:
Crumble
100 g (1 cup) slivered almonds
45 g (1/3 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
65 g (1/3 cup) brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
55 g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
Cake batter
175 g (1 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour 100 g
(1 cup) almond powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt 170 g
(¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
200 g (1 cup) brown sugar
2 eggs
125 ml (½ cup) plain yogurt
30 ml (2 tbsp) Avril almond liqueur
Preparation steps
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and flour an 8-cup mini cake pan measuring 6.5 x 9.5 cm. (see note)
Crumble
1. In a food processor, coarsely chop the almonds.
2. Add the flour, brown sugar, and spices and pulse for a few seconds.
3. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is just moistened.
4. Set aside.
Cake batter
1. In a bowl, combine the flour, almond powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the yogurt and Avril almond liqueur. Mix until the batter is smooth.
3. Divide half of the cake batter among the pans. Top each with 1 tablespoon of the crumble mixture. Cover with the remaining cake batter. Sprinkle with the remaining crumble mixture.
4. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool. Run a knife between the cakes and the pan. Remove from the pan.
5. For a delicious coffee filling, whip 225 g (1 cup) mascarpone cheese with 30 mL (2 tablespoons) lukewarm espresso coffee.
Note: You can substitute a muffin pan for the mini cake pan. The recipe will make about 14 cupcakes. The baking time will then be about 25 minutes.
Enjoy!