Il Fornaio bakery in Los Angeles made a recipe for almond cake that I fell in love with many years ago. I’ve changed their recipe a bit to create a different texture, but the pronounced almond flavor remains the same. It’s very important to cream the butter and almond paste until it becomes thoroughly smooth.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 (8-inch) round cake

　　1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal

　　1/2 cup cake flour

　　1 teaspoon baking powder

　　1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

　　1/4 cup almond paste, cut into small pieces

　　1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

　　4 large egg yolks

　　2 large eggs

　　1/4 cup sour cream

　　

Step 1

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.

　　

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, cake flour, and baking powder. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and almond paste on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the vanilla extract. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups of confectioners’ sugar, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat in the egg yolks and whole eggs, one at a time. Reduce the speed to medium and add the sour cream and dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.

　　

Step 3

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake until the cake is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool. Remove the cake from the pan and dust with more confectioners’ sugar. (The cake can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight in a plastic container.) Cut the cake into wedges and serve.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.