Almond Praline Cakes Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place almonds on a baking sheet, and toast until golden brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.
• Butter a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet. Spread toasted almonds in an even layer on pan. Place sugar and water in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Place over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, brushing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystals from forming. Once sugar is dissolved, cook without stirring until sugar is deep amber. Add lemon juice; immediately pour over almonds, coating with a thin layer. If caramel doesn't cover all the nuts, tilt pan slightly to distribute, or stir in nuts with a wooden spoon, being careful not to touch caramel or hot pan. Cool completely. Gently twist pan to release praline. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Steps:

• To make the honey almond praline: Melt the butter, add sugar and honey, cook until bubbly and ingredients marry. Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds. Let this mixture cool.
• To make the custard filling: First place the sugar and cornstarch in a small to medium pan. In a bowl, mix the egg yolks and milk together. Whisk them into the sugar and starch mixture in the pan. Cook this over low heat and gradually increase to a medium heat bringing the mixture to a boil. The mixture will bubble slowly. Whisk this bubbling mixture for 3 to 4 minutes and remove from heat.
• Soak the gelatin in a 1/4 cup of warm water for 5 minutes. Add gelatin mixture to hot custard and whisk. Set aside to cool in a clean bowl. Cover with plastic to keep mixture from crusting and refrigerate until cool.
• After mixture has cooled, whip cream, sugar, and vanilla to medium peaks. Fold whipped cream into cooled custard. Make sure to whisk custard to creamy stage before gradually folding in whipping cream. Refrigerate until ready to fill split cake layers.
• To make the cake: Sift flour and salt together into a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add yeast and sugar to the well. Add milk, cooled melted butter, and egg, and let sit for 2 minutes to soften yeast, whisk yeast and liquid ingredients only to dissolve yeast. Gradually whisk or beat in flour until well is blended. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead in enough flour only until dough is no longer sticky. Continue kneading approximately 5 to 7 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover dough with a towel or plastic wrap and let dough rest approximately 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.
• Punch dough down. Roll or pat dough into 9 inch, greased pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Spread cooled honey almond praline over dough. Let cake rest and double in height approximately, 45 to 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake until golden approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: Cut cooled cake in half to make 2 layers. Drizzle 1/3 jar caramel over bottom layer. Top with the custard mixture. Place the top layer over the custard and refrigerate or freeze for several hours to firm up custard before cutting.
• This recipe can be doubled and made into a half sheet cake the size of a jellyroll pan, this is wonderful to serve for breakfast gatherings, this cake will not be too sweet. If baking in half sheet, use a piece of cardboard to lift off top half of cake, you can use a flattened paper plate on round cake layers.

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with foil. In a dry heavy saucepan cook sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel, without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden. Add almonds, stirring until coated well, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Working quickly, with a metal spatula spread mixture onto foil about 1/4 inch thick and cool until set, about 3 minutes. Chill praline on foil until hard, about 15 minutes. Chop praline. Praline may be made 1 week ahead and kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Steps:

• Line cookie sheet with foil. In 2-quart saucepan, stir all ingredients except boiling water with wooden spoon. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until boiling rapidly. Boil and stir 3 minutes. Place boiling water in measuring cup. Remove candy from heat and continue stirring vigorously 4 to 5 minutes or until thick but still shiny.
• Working quickly, drop praline mixture by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet, flattening into patty shape with back of wooden spoon if needed. If mixture stiffens too much to drop from a spoon, quickly stir in hot water, 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until smooth. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store in tightly covered container.

Steps:

• Make meringue layers:
• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• In a large baking pan toast almonds in one layer in middle of oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until fragrant and golden, and cool completely.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Using a 9-inch springform pan as a guide, trace a circle on each piece of parchment and turn paper over. (Circle will show through.)
• In a food processor pulse together almonds, 3/4 cup sugar, and cornstarch until almonds are ground fine. In the large bowl of a standing electric mixer beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until they hold soft peaks. Add almond extract and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in almond mixture gently but thoroughly and divide meringue evenly between parchment circles, spreading it to fill in circles. Bake meringue layers in upper and lower thirds of oven 1 hour, or until golden. (Layers will not be completely firm.) Turn oven off. Switch positions of sheets and let layers stand in oven 2 hours, or until dry. Carefully peel off parchment. Meringue layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator).
• With a small sharp knife trim edges of meringue layers just enough to fit inside springform pan. Put 1 layer in pan.
• Scoop 1 pint ice cream and 1 cup praline butter into bowl of standing mixer and with paddle attachment distribute praline butter evenly throughout ice cream to marbleize it. (Do not over-mix or let ice cream melt.) Spread marbled ice cream over meringue layer in pan and top with remaining meringue layer, gently pressing it into ice cream. Freeze cake, covered with plastic wrap, 30 minutes.
• Beat remaining 1 cup praline butter into remaining 1 pint ice cream in same manner as above and spread over meringue layer. Freeze cake, covered with plastic wrap, at least 30 minutes, or until ice cream is firm.
• In a chilled bowl beat heavy cream with sugar until it just holds stiff peaks and spread over ice cream. Freeze ice-cream cake 30 to 45 minutes, or until whipped cream is firm. Cover cake with plastic wrap and foil and freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Immediately before serving the cake, wrap a warm dampened kitchen towel around side of pan and run a thin knife around cake to loosen it. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a serving plate. Cut cake into wedges with a knife dipped repeatedly in hot water and serve garnished with pieces of almond praline if desired.