Pound Cake Italian-Style (Quattro Quarti all’italiana)

 

A very pleasant cake with a moist, creamy crumb and a flavor reminiscent of good marzipan-which even improves after a day or two.

From the original recipe by Pellegrino Artusi

In “La Scienza in Cucina e L’Arte di Mangiar Bene” 1891–Italy

Ingredients:

5 Eggs (extra-large)

Sugar, the same weight of the eggs in the shell

All-purpose Flour, the same weight of the sugar

100 g (1/2 cup) blanched Almonds

200 g (2 sticks) unsalted Butter, melted and cooled

1/2 tsp pure Almond Oil

Zest of 1 (organic) Lemon

1 tsp Baking Soda

Butter a Bundt® pan and sprinkle with a little flour mixed with 1 tbsp sugar and shake off excess.

Finely grind the almond swith a tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of flour taken from the total.

In a mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, beat together eggs and sugar with almond oil and lemon zest, for 15 minutes, until the mixture is light and pale yellow in color. Take care to scrape the sides of the bowl once in a while.

Mix well together flour and ground almonds, then add to the eggs mixture and incorporate the dry ingredients to the mixture using the flat beater attachment at the lowest speed. Let the batter rest, covered, for a couple of hours.

Fifteeen minutes before the end of the batter resting period preheat the oven at 350 F (180 C).
Then add the melted butter and the baking soda mixing at the lowest speed until the batter looks smooth and glossy.

Pour in the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a grid for 10 minutes, then turn it out and let it finish cooling on the grid.