Almondy Almond Cake

I first learned of this almondy almond cake recipe from Ty's dad when he made it for a neighborhood pool party. It looked and smelled so delicious as he was making it. The fragrance of the roasted almonds and vanilla extract permeated the kitchen. It was hard waiting until the pool party to try a slice. But believe me when I tell you, it was a huge hit and well worth the wait. It was super moist and like the title promises, very almondy, which is a very good thing!

So thank you to Jim for introducing this recipe to me. You made this rainy day that much better; cause on a rainy day like today, there's nothing better than a perfect slice of cake.

What You'll Need:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsps almond extract
1 2/3 tsps vanilla extract
1 cup milk

1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan (or 2 9-inch loaf pans if you don't have one like me). Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground almonds. Set aside.

 2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the almond and vanilla extract. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with 1 cup of milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.

 3. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and invert on a wire rack. Cool 10 minutes longer and then place on waxed paper.
4. While that's cooling, place sliced almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes.
5. As that's going, start making the glaze. Combine 1/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Add almonds when finished toasting.
6. Poke little holes in the top of the cake with a fork. This will let the glaze permeate the cake. Do this gently so you don't break the cake. Once complete, pour glaze over cake.
7. Get a glass of milk and eat!!