Glazed Almond Mini Cakes Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter six mini Bundt pans; set aside. Spread sliced almonds out on a baking pan, and toast until golden brown. Transfer nuts to a bowl to cool.
• In a medium bowl, combine chopped almonds, light-brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside. In another medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg; beat until combined. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add 1/3 of reserved flour mixture and half of sour cream; beat to combine. Repeat. Add final third of flour mixture, and beat to combine.
• Fill each Bundt pan with 3 tablespoons batter, and spread evenly with a small offset spatula or spoon. Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of reserved almond-spice mixture. Top with additional 3 tablespoons batter; the batter should come to within 1/2 inch of the rims of the pans.
• Bake until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Unmold cakes. Place cakes, flat sides down, on a wire rack placed over a baking pan.
• Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat until color turns nut brown, about 5 minutes. Pour butter into a medium bowl, leaving behind any dark sediment. Stir in confectioners' sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 3 tablespoons milk until smooth; add an additional tablespoon milk, if necessary, so glaze is pourable. Drizzle glaze over cakes, and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground almonds. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with 1 cup milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and invert on a wire rack. Cool 10 minutes longer. Place rack on waxed paper. Combine 1/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and toasted sliced almonds; pour over warm cake.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini cupcake pans with 48 mini cupcake liners.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Alternate folding the milk and flour mixture into the butter mixture. Fill the cupcake liners halfway and bake for 12 minutes. Cool.
• To assemble: Dip the top of each cupcake into the Raspberry Glaze, making sure to cover the entire top of the cake to the rim of the paper. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, pipe a generous dollop of the pale lavender Swiss Meringue in the center of the cake, keeping a rim of the Raspberry Glaze visible. Top the Swiss Meringue with the stacked Peach and Green Almond Cake. Using a small pastry brush, glaze each raspberry with raspberry jam and sit on top of the cake. Lightly dust the top of each cupcake with zested bittersweet dark chocolate.
• Place the jam in a small saucepan. Dissolve the jam to liquid over low heat, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a heatproof bowl of a standing mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar has dissolved. (The mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips.) Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy and completely cool. Add a few drops of purple vegetable dye and mix well until a light lavender color.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet trays with silicone mats.
• Sift together the flour and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almond paste and sugar together until small crumbs form. Add the butter and beat on high speed until the mixture is combined. Scrape down the bowls and add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, beating on low speed after each addition. Divide the batters between 2 small mixing bowls. In the first bowl, add a few drops of the peach vegetable dye to the batter and mix well until a pale peach color. In the second bowl, add a few drops of the green vegetable dye and mix well until a pale green color. Spread each batter on prepared sheet trays. Bake for 10 minutes. When cooled, cut the peach cake using a 1-inch round fluted pastry cutter, and cut the green cake using a 1/2-inch round fluted pastry cutter. Stack the green cakes on top of the peach cakes and set aside.

Steps:

• Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Put 2 lemons in a medium pot and cover with water by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, partly cover pot, and let simmer for 40 minutes, or until very tender.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer lemons to a bowl. Let cool. Use a spoon to break open lemons and remove the pits. Purée lemons in a mini food processor or blender, scraping down the sides frequently.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Zest remaining lemon into a medium bowl. (Save the rest of the lemon for glaze.) Stir in almond meal, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
• Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until very foamy. With the mixer still going, gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Slide beaten whites onto a large plate.
• In the same mixing bowl (you don't need to wipe it out), beat egg yolks and remaining 1 cup sugar until thick and pale, about 1 minute. Beat in lemon purée, almond meal mixture and almond extract. Using a rubber spatula, fold in melted butter.
• Fold a third of the egg whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it. Fold in another third until well incorporated. Finally fold in remaining egg whites, taking care not to overmix. (A few white streaks are O.K.) Spread batter into prepared pan.
• Bake until top of cake is well browned and it springs back when lightly pressed in the center, 45 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• When cake is almost cool but still slightly warm (after about 30 to 45 minutes), make the glaze. Juice the zested lemon into a bowl and stir in confectioners' sugar until you have a thick but pourable glaze (if it's too thick, stir in a few drops of water). Pour glaze over slightly warm cake and let cool completely.

Steps:

• Make the chocolate ganache, if using: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat cream until bubbling (or place the cream in a glass measuring cup and heat it in the microwave). Remove from heat, add chocolate and let sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Transfer chocolate to a small container (preferably metal) and freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Scoop and roll into 3/4-inch balls. Note that the ganache is very soft and can be messy to handle, but getting perfectly round balls isn't necessary. Place in refrigerator until needed. Ganache balls can be prepared up to 1 week ahead.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a muffin tin.
• Using a food processor or blender, mix almond flour, confectioners' sugar and salt until powdery, about 30 seconds. Add eggs and almond extract and process until smooth, 30 seconds longer. Pulse in butter, cornstarch and baking powder. Scrape mixture into a large bowl.
• Using a beaters or an electric mixer, whip egg whites until very foamy. Gradually add granulated sugar while beating eggs until stiff peaks form.
• Using a spatula, gently and carefully fold a third of the egg whites into almond mixture to lighten it. Then, fold in the rest of the whites just until no streaks remain.
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Pull balls of ganache from refrigerator, if using, and place 1 ball in center of each cake, pushing it down halfway into batter. Or spoon 1 teaspoon cherry jam on top of each cake; do not push down. Return to oven and bake until light brown and a toothpick inserted into cake (and not the chocolate or cherry) comes out clean, another 8 to 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, preferably within 8 hours of baking.

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with foil. Grease the foil with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside. In a large heavy skillet, combine the almonds, sugar and remaining butter. Cook and stir over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until sugar is golden brown., Remove from the heat; carefully stir in vanilla. Spread onto prepared baking sheet; immediately sprinkle with salt. Cool before breaking into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Spray bottoms only of about 58 mini muffin cups with baking spray with flour.
• Make cake batter as directed on box, adding 1 teaspoon almond extract with the water. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about half full). (If using one pan, refrigerate batter while baking other cakes; wash pan before filling with additional batter.)
• Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Place cooling rack on cookie sheet or waxed paper to catch glaze drips. In 3-quart saucepan, stir powdered sugar, 1/2 cup water, the corn syrup and 2 teaspoons almond extract. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved; remove from heat. Stir in hot water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until glaze is pourable. Turn each mini-cake on cooling rack so top side is down. Pour about 1 tablespoon glaze over each cake, letting glaze coat the sides. Let stand 15 minutes.
• With decorating icing, pipe designs on cakes, or garnish cakes with flowers just before serving. Store loosely covered.