Recipe for Almond Sponge Cake (gluten free)

Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

For the cake:

Unsalted butter, for greasing pans
1 tablespoon unbleached or quinoa flour, plus more for pans
1 3/4 cups whole almonds (I don't use blanched)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
3 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

For the filling:

1 pound cream cheese (at room temperature)
8 ounces heavy cream
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon kirsch or amaretto, optional

For assembly:

2 pints mixed berries, sliced fruit, or chopped nuts
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting.

Directions

1. For the cake: preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush 3 8-inch round baking pans with butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Brush with butter again and dust with more flour, tapping out excess.
2. Place 1 tablespoon flour, the almonds and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
3. Fill a pot — large enough to set the bowl of an electric mixer in it without the bowl touching the bottom — with 1 inch water and bring to a simmer over low heat.
4. Place the eggs, egg whites and sugar in the bowl and gently whisk to incorporate. Place the bowl over the pot of steaming water and whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes.
5. Return bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until pale yellow, thick and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add vanilla and stir to combine.
6. Fold almond mixture into batter just until there are no streaks. Divide batter evenly among pans and bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Do not overbake. The center will rise and fall during baking. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes.
7. Run a knife around the edges of the cakes and turn them out onto a flat plate or cardboard round. Peel off parchment and invert onto another plate or round. Cakes should be right-side up. Cool completely and wrap in plastic if not using immediately.
8. For the filling: in a chilled metal bowl, whip the cream cheese and heavy cream until it holds its shape. Add the lemon zest, confectioners’ sugar and liqueur, if using, and stir to combine. (Taste for sweetness - you might want more sugar.)
9. To assemble: place one of the cakes on a serving plate. Top with 1/3 of the filling and 1/3 of the fruit. Repeat with the remaining 2 layers, leaving the prettiest pieces for the top. Chill if not serving right away.
10. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

Warming the eggs does increase their volume when beaten, so heat the bowl even if you can't duplicate the setup suggested in the recipe.