Elegant Almond Tea Cake - Gina Homolka, Skinnytaste

I'm thankful to finally be back at home for the summer after my second year at school. My family spent Mother's Day with families and friends celebrating some of the most significant motherly figures of my childhood with a delicious brunch! Originally, my dad and I had a grilled summer feast planned for my mom, but we opted to postpone it until the day after Mother's Day because brunch was just so filling.

As a part of the planned Mother's Day treats, though, my mom requested one of her favorite cakes, a recipe by Gina Homolka from Skinnytaste. This delicious almond cake is light and spongy, and very easy to throw together and leave the kitchen smelling divine. Earlier this week, Mom and I went over to a local strawberry field to pick up some fresh berries to top her cake as well, and it was such a great touch. I would definitely recommend this recipe for any time during the summer when you're craving a flavorful and light dessert- its simplicity is a crowd-pleaser!

Elegant Almond Tea Cake - Skinnytaste

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs, separated into 6 egg whites and 3 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g almond flour
• a pinch of salt
• 2/3 cup of sugar
• toppings:
• berries of your choice
• 1/2 cup of chopped almonds
• powdered sugar

Directions:

1. With your oven rack positioned in the middle of your oven, preheat to 350 F.
2. Line the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper, and spray with nonstick baking spray.
3. In a large glass bowl, add the three egg yolks, and in a standing mixer bowl, add all 6 egg whites.
4. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar for about 1 minute. They should cream together and form a pale yellow mixture.
5. Once the yolks and sugar are creamed together, continue to whisk in the salt and vanilla extract.
6. With the whisk attachment of the standing mixer, begin to beat the egg whites until they form medium peaks.
7. Once the egg whites form peaks, fold about 1/4 of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture with a rubber spatula. Once incorporated, begin to gently fold in the remaining 3/4 of the egg whites and about 1/2 of the almond flower. Avoid being too rough with the batter, as you want the cake to be as fluffy as possible!
8. After the majority of the egg whites have been folded in, add the remaining 1/2 of the almond flower and fold until you have a consistent cake batter. 
9. Pour the homogenous cake batter into the spring form pan and ensure the batter is level before baking for 35 minutes. The top of the cake should have a light golden color when it is done baking.
10. While the cake is baking, prepare your toppings. Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat and lightly toast your chopped almonds until golden brown and remove from heat. I recommend chopping your preferred berries at this time as well. 
11. Allow the cake to cool for at least 5-10 minutes before using a butter knife to ensure the cake does not stick to the sides of the pan. 
12. Pop open the spring form pan and flip the cake upside down to remove the parchment paper. Flip the cake right side up again and plate it on your serving tray!
13. Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar and top with your toasted almonds. Serve individually with berry topping to prevent the cake from going soggy when storing.

Enjoy!