Amaretto Coffee Almond Cake

Amaretto Coffee Almond Cake

By: RaChelle H. - North Logan, UT - 2017 Recipe Contest Submission

"The toasted almonds add a buttery character to the cake while the grapes introduce a fresh flavor to your palate. And the coffee caviar adds a great pop of flavor. All these flavors work well together and make for a beautiful presentation."

This is a user-submitted recipe. It was not made in the kitchens of the Door County Coffee Cafe.

Ingredients

Featured ingredient: Amaretto Coffee 10 oz. Bag Ground

Coffee Caviar:

    • 3 oz. (1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp) hot Door County Amaretto Coffee
    • 2-3 cups vegetable oil
    • 2 (1/4 oz) packages powdered gelatin (or 4 teaspoons)
    • 3 tablespoons cold water

Cake:

    • 6 eggs
    • 2/3 cup sugar
    • 1 ¼ cups almond flour

Filling:

    • ½ cup brewed Door County Amaretto Coffee
    • 4 egg yolks
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 3 tbsp water
    • 1 tbsp gelatin
    • 1 ¼ cups heavy cream

Decoration and Garnish:

    • 15-20 green grapes
    • 1 egg white
    • ¼ cup superfine sugar
    • 1 ¾ cups whipped cream
    • 1 cup toasted sliced almonds
    • Dusting of powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Place vegetable oil in a glass bowl and chill over night in the back of fridge or the coldest part of fridge
  2. Mix gelatin and water in a small bowl. Add hot coffee and stir until dissolved, breaking up gelatin with the spoon. Transfer to a squeeze bottle. Let cool to almost room temperature (or it will not work properly).
  3. Take oil out of fridge and squeeze a few drops of coffee mixture at a time into oil. The drop should sit on top for a second and then sink. Continue adding drops until half the mixture is used. Strain out the caviar. Cool oil again if needed. And repeat with the remaining coffee mixture. Store in air tight container and set aside.
  4. Preheat oven to 325°F. Separate 4 of the egg yolks and whites and set aside 2 tablespoons sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk remaining sugar with egg yolks, and whole eggs to the ribbon stage or until creamy. Gradually stir in almond flour.
  5. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg whites into soft peaks. Whisk in remaining sugar until peaks stiffen. Gently fold into main mixture. Do not deflate egg whites.
  6. Pour mixture evenly into two 9-inch round cake pans that have been sprayed with non-stick coating and parchment circles placed in the bottom of pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Then flip out on a cooking rack and remove parchment.
  7. Put egg yolks and sugar in a small sauce pan. Whisk until creamy. Add coffee and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook until thick and mousse like, 5-7 minutes. Let cool.
  8. Dissolve gelatin in water in a glass bowl. Place bowl over a pot of boiling water (double boiler style) until clear and runny.
  9. Meanwhile, whip the cream into soft peaks.
  10. Slowly whisk dissolved gelatin into the coffee mousse. Gently fold in whipped cream.
  11. Spread ¾ of coffee mixture between layers of cake. Spread remaining coffee mixture on top of cake.
  12. Place egg white in a bowl and superfine sugar in another bowl. Dip grapes into eggs white and then into sugar.
  13. Spread whipped cream around the sides of cake. Press almonds around the sides. Mark a diamond pattern on top with a knife. Dust on powdered sugar. Pipe whipped cream with a star tip on top of the cake. Top with candied grapes and coffee caviar.