After settling down, finally got down to buying baking powder, vanilla and some almonds from the local supermarket. It was a toss up between some nuts, fruits or chocolate chips. It’s been a while since I had a nice almond cake – so nuts it was!
I needed to get to know the Mr Oven here – I love how ovens are like very much like people, unique, with quirks and all. So with some hand power and improvisation, I whipped up a simple almond crumble vanilla cake. And Mr Oven proved to be a fine man indeed. Definitely more baking dates coming up :p
I took pictures of favourite recipes from my messy recipe book back home, and so wonderfully missed out my favourite muffin recipe by Carole Walter (the blueberry buttermilk muffin – I wonder how I missed posting it up here, so that will be coming up soon!). Thanks to the internet, I found another of her muffin recipe I been wanting to try, which was great because I don’t have buttermilk. And am too lazy to make some from milk and lemon :p
Do note I only made half the recipe, and baked it in a mini cocotte (about 4 inches wide!) because I do not have a small baking pan, or the muffin tray, yet!
Almond Crumble Vanilla Cake
(Adapted from Carole Walter’s Vanilla Muffin and Butternut Streusel recipe from
Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More)
Makes an 8 inch cake, or 12 2 1/2 inch muffins. Streusel covers a 10-inch cake.
For the almond streusel
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup silvered almonds
1/4 tsp almond extract (I omitted this)
1 1/3 cup flour
1. Place flour, sugar, almonds into a bowl.
2. Throw in the cubed butter, and rub it into the flour sugar mixture. It’s okay if there are huge clumps :) Set aside and make your cake!
For the muffins / cake!
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream (I used greek yogurt, and it worked perfectly ;))
1/3 – 1/2 cup toasted silvered almonds (optional – but recommended!)
1. Preheat oven to 175 degree C. Grease and flour your pan. Put cupcake liners if making muffins :)
2. If using almonds, toast them in a pan until slightly browned and deliciously fragrant. Set aside to cool.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and soda.
4. Beat butter, salt and sugar in another bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly add in your egg, beating until well combined.
5.. Add 1/3 of your flour and mix well. Then add 1/2 of the sour cream and mix well. Add the remaining batches – flour, sour cream and flour again. Beat for a while longer, just until it’s smooth.
6. Mix the toasted almonds into the batter here!
7. Put batter baking pan or tray. Toss in some streusel and swirl it into the cake. Then liberally cover the top with streusel.
8. Bake for about 40 – 45 minutes in a 8 inch pan, and 20 – 25 minutes for muffins. Or just do a toothpick test :)
9. Remove from oven and leave it to rest in pan for a few minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool on cooling rack.
From Cass with Love 