Believe it or not, cakes like this one, featuring nuts and dried fruits, are very popular in Venice. There it would be considered an afternoon snack to serve with coffee, but it’s wonderful for breakfast as well.

　　

Ingredients

6 to 8 servings

　　1/2 cup sliced almonds

　　1/2 cup pine nuts

　　1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

　　1 teaspoon baking powder

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　4 large eggs

　　1 1/4 cups sugar

　　3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

　　1/3 cup milk

　　1/4 teaspoon almond extract

　　1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan.

　　

Step 2

Combine 1/4 cup of the almonds and 1/4 cup of the pine nuts in a dry skillet and place over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and toasted, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and cool for a few minutes, then pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir to combine. Set aside.

　　

Step 3

In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and the sugar until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Add the butter and milk and combine, then stir in the almond extract and apricots by hand. Gently stir in the dry ingredients.

　　

Step 4

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining 1/4 cup of sliced almonds and 1/4 cup of pine nuts. Bake until the cake is cooked and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Use a knife to loosen the edges. Turn the cake out, cut in wedges, and serve.

　　Reprinted with permission from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2008 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.