Almond Cake with Lemon Zest

Like most women, I have a major sweet tooth. I was scrutinizing the recipes I have posted thus far on Healthy Eating 101, and I have to say, it's such a tragedy that I haven't posted any desserts! I prefer cooking over baking because it doesn't require much mental effort. With baking you have to measure out ingredients, but I don't hesitate to satisfy my sweet tooth. And these are rare moments when I bake. 

Ideas will come to me at inconvenient times: on the commute to work, in class, or sometimes when I don't have a pad of paper or a pen at my fingertips to scribble on. I have a host of recipes that I have tested and tweaked at least 5 or 6 times to convert into a healthier alternatives. And this Almond Cake with Lemon Zest is no exception. Now, I love chocolate and I would choose it over non chocolate baked items like toffees and fruits based pastries ANY DAY. But this Almond Cake is divine. It's got just the right amount of sweetness, plus it is moist, and it has a nutty flavor from the toasted almonds. 

The flavor of the almonds are intensified with a dash of rum, plenty of lemon zest, and olive oil. To cut out most of the fat without compensating on flavor, low-fat yogurt whisked into the batter will lend the liquid the cake needs to, well, taste like a cake. You gotta try this. 

Almond Cake with Lemon Zest

Ingredients

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup whole almonds

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature (this is pretty important)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 whole eggs

2 egg whites

1 1/2 cups low-fat yogurt

2 teaspoon real vanilla extract

1 tablespoon rum (the cheapest one you can find will be great in here)

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest, about two lemons

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted in a dry pan for 3-4 minutes until golden brown

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1.) Grind the whole almonds in a food processor until extremely fine, 2-3 minutes or more. 

2.) Whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

3.) Using a food processor, whisk the butter,oil, and sugar for 2 minutes until it looks "fluffy". 

4.) Add the whole eggs and egg whites. Whisk again. Then add the yogurt, vanilla, lemon zest, and rum.

5.) Gradually mix in the dry ingredients into the the wet. Pour the batter into a cake pan.  (Don't overmix! Otherwise you strengthens the gluten protein in flour and accidentally make a tough cake. 

6.) Sprinkle over the toasted almonds. 

7.) Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan (or whatever size you prefer) with nonstick cooking spray and pour the batter in.

8.) Bake for 30-40 minutes. Oven temperatures vary, so check frequently. Use the toothpick method to check if the batter is too wet and needs more time to bake.