Salted Almond Praline Cake

Although it’s entirely possible to find trees growing in the wild, almonds are cultivated in Provence. This recipe for Salted Almond Praline Cake is a basic cake mix with a crunchy sweet topping. I know that I promised not to make another almond dessert, but who could resist this delicious treat?

Before continuing, I wanted to clear up what might be culinary confusion pralines are not pecans. Pralines or in French praliné is a candied nut mixture with almonds, other nuts like hazelnuts, and caramelized sugar. The gastronomic capital of France – Lyon – is home to a specialty pink praline, which finds it’s way into many desserts. In Provence, it is common to find praliné desserts that include a crunchy layer or topping.

Enjoy!

Salted Almond Praline Cake

Recipe minimally adapted from Sweet Paul Magazine.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine North American

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  

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• 1 1/2 cups (340g) sliced almonds
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (170g) Sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
• 1 1/4 cups (200g) All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of Salt
• 1/2 cup (120ml) unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup (150g) light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
• flaked sea salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C).
• Liberally butter a 9-inch cake pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment, then the sides of the pan with 2-inch strips; butter the parchment.
• Place the almonds on a baking tray and toast them until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light and creamy. Add vanilla, butter, flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix well. Pour into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.
• Reset the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• 10 minutes before the cake is done, place butter, sugar, and milk in a pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer for five minutes then add the almonds. Spread the almond mixture on top of the cake, even it out with a spatula, and sprinkle with some flaky sea salt.
• Return the cake to the oven and bake the cake for another 10 minutes. The top should be bubbly and golden.
• Cool briefly on a wire rack. Use a very sharp knife to cut around the edge of the cake before it is cold, as the praline topping sets very quickly.
• Turn it out onto the rack to finish cooling.

Keyword Almonds, Cakes, Dessert

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The Almonds of Provence

The Le Roy René factory needs some 200 metric tons of almonds annually for the production of calissons d’Aix and nougats. As almonds are one of the key ingredients in these typically Provencal sweets, a reliable supply chain is critical.

Ground almonds add a touch of richness to an already delightful clafoutis with sweet sun-ripened cherries topped with crème fraiche or crème anglaise. Enjoy a classic clafoutis with almonds and cherries from Provence.

Prepare this dessert recipe on the BBQ or in the oven. The roasted apricot and yogurt-cream combination is a match from Provencal heaven. We created and sampled this roasted apricot dessert at a cooking class lead by Yvan Gilardi, a chef who works in collaboration with Jean Martin.

This recipe combines citrus and almond into a sweet dessert. The cake is also gluten-free and dairy-free if your guests have food sensibilities.

Candy might not be the reason you decide to visit Aix-en-Provence, but don’t leave town without sampling the famous Calisson d’Aix. These sweets were recognized as part of the heritage of the city in 1990. The ingredients for calissons include ground almonds (sweet and bitter) and a fruit paste of melon confit and orange peel.