There is a saying in France when something tastes so good you cannot believe it, that it is like “Jesus in velvet pants.” This cake is that. Iwas inspired to make this after buying a cake similar to this in a lovely
little bakery in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris. It was as if the cake reached out and grabbed me, it was so lovely. I tasted it, then made it just a few days later because it had to go in this book.
It is really a simple pound cake all dressed up. The nuts, glistening from their wash of apricot glaze, make it regal, fit for a grand occasion or a very special cup of tea!
Makes 10 servings
Ingredients:
1½ cups (210 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
Fine sea salt
14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks/210 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 g) vanilla sugar
4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups (about 200 g) mixed nuts, such as cashews, walnuts, and almonds, lightly toasted
½ cup (125 ml) apricot jam
Note: The leavening in this pound cake is simply egg whites beaten with a bit of sugar. Don’t be tempted to add baking powder, which tends to dry out a cake of this sort. The egg whites are all it needs.
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour a 9-inch (23- cm) springform pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the parchment paper.
2. Sift the flour with a generous pinch of salt onto a piece of parchment paper.
3. In the bowl of a mixer or in another large bowl, mix together the butter and all but 2 tablespoons of the vanilla sugar until they are pale yellow and light. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing just until they are combined. Add the vanilla extract, then slowly mix in the flour just until it is combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt. When they are light and foamy and beginning to turn white, slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and whisk just until they form soft peaks.
5. Fold one-fourth of the egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites just until the mixture is homogenous. Do not overfold, or the egg whites will lose their volume.
6. Turn the batter into the prepared pan. Evenly sprinkle the top of the cake with the nuts and bake the cake in the center of the oven until it springs back when touched but isn’t dry, about 35 minutes.
7. Strain the apricot jam into a small, heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon water and cook just until the glaze is liquid. Remove from the heat.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Immediately brush the glaze generously over the nuts, then let the cake cool for at least 20 minutes before removing the edges of the pan. When the cake is cooled completely, remove it from the bottom of the cake pan.
