Macaroon Cake

Macaroon Cake

Makes 8 to 10 servings

A sweet, nutty, orange-scented flourless cake made with almond, pistachio, or hazelnut flour.

This cake has a wonderful, delicate lightness but a very satisfying soft, candied texture that reminds me of the classic gooey butter cake made famous in St. Louis. As it bakes, a thin caramelized crust forms on top. The cake is sugary and fragrant, and it begs for ice cream and some slices of fruit or a drizzle of Hot Honey. It can be made with almond, pistachio, or hazelnut flour (finely ground nuts); almond is my favorite. I like the scent of orange zest with any of the nuts, but you can use any citrus zest.

• 1¾ cups blanched whole almonds, 1¾ cups pistachios, or 2½ cups hazelnuts (about 14 ounces nuts)
• 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1¼ cups sugar
• Grated zest of 2 oranges
• 4 drops almond extract
• Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan and line with a round of parchment. Butter the parchment. Dust the pan with flour (using gluten-free flour if that is a concern) and shake out the excess.
2. Finely grind the almonds in a food processor until they are the consistency of coarse flour. With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl at high speed until pale and thick. Add the zest and almond extract, followed by the ground almonds, mixing very well.
3. Use clean beaters to beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold them into the yolk and almond mixture until well combined, being careful not to deflate the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cake feels firm to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan on a rack.
5. Invert the cake, remove the parchment, and turn right side up. Dust the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.