Almond Cake

This cake will keep for four days at room temperature, well-wrapped. It can also be frozen for up to two months.

Note: If almond paste has dried out, place it in a plastic bag with two slices of bread or an apple half, and let it sit overnight.
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups sugar
8 ounces almond paste (Solo or Odense or Love 'N Bake brands)
3/4, plus 1/4 cup flour
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
6 large eggs, at room temperature

Variation: Original version had 2 extra ounces of butter, for a total of 10 ounces

Preparing the cake:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9- or 10-inch cake or springform pan with butter, dust it with flour and tap out any excess. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper.

In the bowl of a food processor, grind the sugar, almond paste, and 1/4 cup of flour until the almond paste is finely ground and the mixture resembles sand.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup of flour, baking powder, and salt.

Once the almond paste is completely broken up, add the cubes of butter and the vanilla and almond extracts, then process until the batter is very smooth and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, processing a bit before the next addition.

After you add all the eggs, the mixture may look curdled. Don't worry; it'll come back together after the next step.

Add half the flour mixture and pulse the machine a few times, then add the rest, pulsing the machine until the drying ingredients are just incorporated, but do not overmix. (You can also transfer the batter to a bowl and mix the dry ingredients in, which ensures the dry ingredients get incorporated evenly and you don't overbeat it.)

Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake the cake for 65 minutes, or until the top is deep brown and feels set when you press in the center.

Remove the cake from the oven and run a sharp or serrated knife around the perimeter, loosing the cake from the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.

Once cool, tap the cake out of the pan, remove the parchment paper, and set on a cake plate until ready to serve.
Note: Warm the bottom of the cake pan directly on the stovetop for just a few seconds, which will help the cake release.