In the old days Passover desserts were the predictable two: macaroons or spongecake.
We’ve come a long way since then.
Not that I have anything against macaroons and spongecake. In fact, they rank right up there in the favorites category for me.
But now Passover desserts are so gourmet. And there’s lots to choose from and to cook or bake at home. I remember when flourless chocolate cake first appeared on the Passover scene. Now that seems old hat too. There’s so much more.
At any rate, I make a variety of different Passover desserts every year, some tried-and-true and always a couple of new ones. Some sweet with honey, some chocolatey. Some plain like this one for Lemon-Almond Cake. It’s a good choice after a heavy meal because it is light and fluffy and there’s no a sugar load of frosting or anything gooey.
This cake is wonderful as is. But of course, goes nicely with fresh fruit or sorbet or ice cream. Or with the Roasted Fruit Cocktail I wrote about yesterday. If you just can’t resist, there’s always a sauce you can pour on top, like zabaglione or caramel.
1-1/2 cups finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup potato starch
1 tablespoon kosher for Passover baking powder
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel
4 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
6 tablespoons lemon juice
Passover Confectioner’s sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan and place a parchment paper circle on the bottom of the pan. Place the almonds in a bowl. Add the potato starch, baking powder and lemon peel and whisk ingredients thoroughly. Set aside. Place the egg yolks, sugar and salt in a food processor and process until thick and lighter in color. With the machine running, add the vegetable oil and melted, cooled coconut oil until all has been incorporated. Using the pulse feature, work in the ground almond mixture and lemon juice. Spoon the mixture into a large bowl. In another bowl (or bowl of an electric mixer), beat the egg whites until they are glossy and stand in stiff peaks. Mix about 1/3 of the beaten whites into the batter, to lighten it, then fold the remaining beaten whites into the batter. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Place the pan on a cake rack. Let the cake cool in the pan. Remove from the pan. Dust with Passover confectioner’s sugar.
NOTE: you can make this without the baking powder; the cake will be more dense, but taste delicious