Almond Buttermilk Cake with Strawberry Coulis

Like I said before, sometimes my priorities change. Those cinnamon rolls? Their 2 hour required rising time just didn't fit in with my schedule. Hmmpf.

But I still needed something to take up to my in-laws' house over the weekend. Thus, this cake was born. Somehow, all of the stars aligned, and I had everything that I needed to make this cake, plus the additions and changes that I wanted to make to the original recipe. The basic recipe comes from Clotilde Dusoulier's cookbook, Chocolate & Zucchini. I've made this cake probably a dozen times, and each time I mix it up do something different. It really is a fool-proof basic recipe (no creaming the butter! no dirtying your mixer bowl!), and you can dress it up however you see it. For my in-laws, I decided that almonds and strawberries would be the perfect combination.

Did you know that a cup of buttermilk is a perfectly suitable substitute for a cup of yogurt? Well, now you do. Feel free to use either one in this recipe. I've posted the recipe below, with my changes in italics. Enjoy!

Yogurt (or Buttermilk) Cake

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup plain whole milk yogurt (I used 1 cup buttermilk, well shaken)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract)

1 tbsp light or amber rum

1-2/3 cup all purpose flour ((I used 2/3 cup almond flour, and 1 cup all purpose flour)

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

Good pinch of fine sea salt (I used scant 1/4 tsp regular salt)

Strawberry Coulis (recipe below)

1 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides and bottom of a 10-inch springform pan (or cake pan). Line the bottom with parchment paper if the pan is not springform.

2 - Whisk together the yogurt (or buttermilk) and the sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla, oil, and rum, and whisk thoroughly.

3 - In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Pour the flour mixture into the yogurt/buttermilk mixture, and whisk until just combined.

4 - Pour batter into the prepared cake pan (I poured half of the batter into the pan, drizzled the strawberry coulis on top, and then poured the remaining batter into the pan - this will result in a marbled effect when it bakes up), and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a cooling rack and let stand for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen. Unclasp the sides of the springform pan (if using). If not, flip the cake onto a plate and flip it back onto the rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

5 - Optional step: I dusted my cake with confectioner's sugar, and topped it with slivered, toasted almonds.

Strawberry Coulis

1 cup strawberries, washed and hulled

2 tbsp confectioner's sugar (or to taste - I had to add about 3 tbsp)

Place strawberries and sugar in food processor and process until smooth.