Cake of the Day: Honey-Almond Snack Cake from ‘Baking With Less Sugar’
Every day, Yahoo Food features delectable cakes. They taste good, they look good, and they’re made by good people — talented bakers from around the world. Today’s cake comes from owner and pastry chef Joanne Chang of Boston’s Flour Bakery and Café. Her cookbook Baking with Less Sugar explores baking with natural sweeteners while keeping the delicious flavor of your favorite treats.
Honey-Almond Snack Cake
Makes one 9-by-13-inch cake
When I was a kid, I daydreamed that I’d come home from school and, magically, my mom would turn into one of those mothers who would be lavishly frosting a cake for me and my brother to snack on while we did our homework. Instead, there was usually a plate of diced melon, sliced apples, and peeled oranges. Now that I know what goes into most cakes—loads of sugar and, if it’s from a box, likely a number of preservatives as well—I understand better why she refused to listen to my wishes. (Mom was magical in other ways.)
Here is a cake that you can feel really great about making for your family. It’s sweetened with honey, has a velvety tender crumb, and the frosting is just sweet enough without being over-the-top. You feel good after eating it. Almost as good as if you had eaten a plate of fruit.
(For a terrific gluten-free alternative for this cake, instead of 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, try substituting ½ cup sorghum flour, plus ½ cup sweet rice flour, plus ½ cup potato starch. Thanks to Laura, who tried this version and deemed it the best gluten-free cake she’s ever tasted!)
½ cup vegetable oil, such as canola
2/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1 cup crème fraîche
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Creamy Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, spray with nonstick cooking spray, or butter and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, honey, vanilla, and almond extract until well mixed. Whisk in the eggs and egg yolks until well combined. Whisk in the crème fraîche. In a sep¬arate medium bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cake springs back when you poke it in the center and is pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the frosting: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with an electric hand mixer), beat the cream cheese on medium speed for at least 4 minutes, or until perfectly smooth. (Cream cheese has a tendency to lump up easily, so don’t skip this step.) Using a rubber spatula, scrape the bowl and add the butter. Add the honey, vanilla, almond extract, and salt and beat well on medium speed until thoroughly combined. The frosting can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
When the cake is completely cool, using a rubber spatula or an offset spatula, frost with creamy frosting and serve. The frosted cake can be stored, well wrapped with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days; remove at least 1 hour before serving so the cake is not cold.
Reprinted with permission from Baking with Less Sugar: Recipes for Desserts Using Natural Sweeteners and Little-to-No White Sugar by Joanne Chang (Chronicle Book).
More little-to-no white sugar baking recipes:
Cinnamon Sugar Monkey Bread Recipe
