Almond Cake With Rhubarb Compote and Strawberries
- Butter for pan
- 1 cup blanched slivered almonds
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 egg whites
- 1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
- 1 375-milliliter bottle orange muscat wine
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split
- 4 stalks rhubarb, trimmed, cut into 1 1/4-inch lengths and then cut lengthwise into thin slices
- 18 strawberries, hulled and sliced thin
- Powdered sugar
- To make the cake, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Butter a 10-inch cake pan, and set aside.
- Place the almonds and the sugar in a food processor, and process until the almonds are ground.
- Transfer to a large bowl, and stir in the flour and salt until well combined.
- In another bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
- Stir the butter and one third of the egg whites into the dry mixture.
- Gently fold in the remaining whites.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
- Place on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.
- Turn cake out of the pan, turn upright, and let cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the compote.
- Combine the wine, water, sugar and vanilla bean in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer, and add the rhubarb.
- Poach for 1 minute, and remove from heat.
- Let stand for 5 minutes.
- With a slotted spoon, transfer the rhubarb to a bowl, and set aside.
- Return the pan to the heat, and boil until liquid has reduced to 1 cup, about 12 minutes.
- Set aside.
- When cool, pour the liquid over the rhubarb.
- Assemble just before serving.
- Cut the cake into wedges.
- Spoon the compote onto 6 plates, and top with a wedge of cake.
- Place strawberry slices over cake, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
- Serve immediately.
butter, blanched slivered almonds, sugar, flour, salt, egg whites, butter, wine, water, sugar, vanilla bean, stalks rhubarb, strawberries, powdered sugar
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/8062 (may not work)