Portuguese Almond Torte
Portuguese Almond Torte by David Leite. Bolo de Amendoa by David Leite. Serves 10 to 12, richly. Because this torte is made with no flour, it’s exceptionally moist and dense — just the way the Portuguese adore it. To decorate it, I like to sprinkle on a bit of confectioners’ sugar or, if I’m feeling truly decadent, I spoon on some preserves and whipped cream.
Portuguese Almond Torte by David Leite. Bolo de Amendoa by David Leite. Serves 10 to 12, richly. Because this torte is made with no flour, it’s exceptionally moist and dense — just the way the Portuguese adore it. To decorate it, I like to sprinkle on a bit of confectioners’ sugar or, if I’m feeling truly decadent, I spoon on some preserves and whipped cream.
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter plus more for greasing, at room temperature
- 1 all-purpose flour for coating the pan
- 3 cups blanched slivered almonds
- 4 large yolks
- 4 teaspoons lemon zest grated
- 4 large egg whites
- Carbohydrate 36.1116391666667 g
- Cholesterol 100.295416666667 mg
- Fat 31.5176908333333 g
- Fiber 4.15019153372447 g
- Protein 17.1447116666667 g
- Saturated Fat 9.22221375 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (154g)
- Sodium 221.14775 mg
- Sugar 31.9614476329422 g
- Trans Fat 1.87172208333333 g
- Calories 478 calories
Step-by-step
- Position the rack in the middle of the oven and crank the heat to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch springform pan with butter, line the bottom with parchment paper, and grease the paper. Coat the pan with flour and tap out the excess.
- Buzz the almonds and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a food processor until the consistency of fine cornmeal. Really lean on that button to make sure the almonds are as finely chopped as possible. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a handheld mixer in a big bowl, beat 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the yolks on medium-high until very light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add the zest, salt, and cinnamon and mix until incorporated. Whirl in the almond mixture and vanilla.
- In an impeccably clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy then slowly whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar until the whites form soft, luscious peaks. Plop a spatulaful into the almond mixture and stir to lighten. Carefully fold in the remainder of the whites until no streaks show. Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
- Bake until the cake is golden brown and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let rest for 5 minutes before releasing the cake from the pan. Cool completely before serving. The middle will collapse a bit; that is as it should be.
Attempting this flourless torte without a reliable food processor usually yields uneven nut chunks rather than the required fine meal. Blending three cups of almonds properly relies entirely on the motor's power, so pulse carefully to avoid heating the oils and turning the nuts into paste. Room-temperature butter incorporates smoothly into the pulverized almonds, establishing the dense base necessary for the structure.
The Science of Aeration and Structure
Baking without grain-based gluten requires heavy reliance on mechanical leavening through eggs. Whipping four yolks with three-quarters cup of sugar for a full seven minutes incorporates enough air to lighten the dense fat content. Meanwhile, beating egg whites separately creates soft peaks that must be folded gently into the batter. This dual-stage aeration allows the torte to rise safely at 350 degrees Fahrenheit without collapsing prematurely during the forty-five-minute bake.
- Ensure the mixing bowl for the egg whites is entirely grease-free, or the whites will fail to form peaks.
- Expect the center to drop slightly as the torte cools; this structural deflation is characteristic of flourless nut cakes.
- Use a springform pan lined with parchment paper to prevent the delicate crust from sticking during release.
