Comments on Sweet Amandine: first love

Hi, Anita. What a wonderful note to wake up to on...

2011-01-31T08:49:33.843-05:00

Hi, Anita. What a wonderful note to wake up to on a Monday morning! Thank you so much for taking the time to write. I'm so glad that this cake was a hit in your kitchen - and beyond!

I don't remember how I found your site, but th...

2011-01-31T00:52:15.596-05:00

I don't remember how I found your site, but thank goodness I did. This cake is to die for and too easy to be believed. I made it for some friends, one of whom never eats the dessert. I sent some home with her, and she called me a few minutes later, and begged me for the recipe. She said it is the first dessert in 40 years that she liked. I'll be making this again and again! Thank you so much,.

I love the almonds on this! Makes me start droolin...

2010-10-26T22:46:53.144-04:00

I love the almonds on this! Makes me start drooling just thinking about them.. I didn't even see any other ingredients besides the almonds. I bet it's delicious!
-Sunny
ioLite Vaporizer

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that this recipe ...

2010-09-28T18:16:20.423-04:00

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that this recipe gave you trouble. How frustrating. Let's try to figure this out. While it's impossible for me to know exactly what went wrong, my first thought is that you might have a problem with your oven temperature. When I've accidentally left the cake in my oven for longer than 40 minutes, it threatens to burn. If your cake's still uncooked after 70 minutes at 350 degrees, well, that just doesn't sound right to me. Do you keep a thermometer in your oven? If not, you might want to give that a try to see if your oven is running cool. In my experience, the temperature on the oven dial can sometimes be quite different from the actual temperature in there. To answer your question about the consistency of the cake: I would say that the entire cake is somewhat soft beneath the outer layer, but it should certainly be cooked through! When you insert a toothpick into the center of the cake, it should come out clean, or with only a crumb or two clinging to it. That's how you'll know it's done. I do hope you'll try it again, and that it will work for you. Please do let me know if I can be of any help, either here, or by e-mail.

My cake did not set up even after nearly 70 minute...

2010-09-28T09:51:10.809-04:00

My cake did not set up even after nearly 70 minutes in the oven. Did I do something wrong or is it supposed to stay super soft in the center? It seemed uncooked, so I was hesitant to eat it. Also, I noticed there is no leavening of any kind. I suppose that is what makes for the soft, dense center that I should've been able to achieve? I may have to give it another go as I, too, love all things almond and your cake looks delicious.

First, Anonymous, it looks like I missed this comm...

2010-08-31T18:09:50.275-04:00

First, Anonymous, it looks like I missed this comment a while back. I love the sound of an orange marmalade version of this cake, and I bet I'd love the taste of it even more. What a brilliant idea!

Shelley, I happen to be sitting right next to my recipe file, and so I just pulled out the recipe to find an answer to your question about baking time. Would you believe that I didn't make a note of it?! I'm so sorry. I do remember that they took longer than I expected, something between 20 and 25 minutes, I think.

As for the size, my mini tart pans are 3 inches across on the bottom, and 4 inches from rim to rim. I hope that helps!

Just wondered approximately how long you cook the ...

2010-08-31T17:52:54.476-04:00

Just wondered approximately how long you cook the tartlets and what size they are - as shown in the later posting. Thank you, Shelley

whoops .. Hi Jess... my mistake..

2010-03-29T21:52:37.333-04:00

whoops .. Hi Jess... my mistake..

Stephanie.... I made 2 of these wonderful cakes ...

2010-03-29T21:50:58.824-04:00

Stephanie.... I made 2 of these wonderful cakes last night. Why two? well one was plain and the other was orange marmalade. I dabbed home made marmalade on the top on the cake then swirled it with a skewer and baked it just like that. It turned out great. Everyone at the party thought I bought the cakes in a professional bakery. They were both a hit.

Hi, Stephanie. I've never tried substituting ...

2010-02-18T11:47:10.335-05:00

Hi, Stephanie. I've never tried substituting maple syrup for sugar in any recipe, so I'm afraid that I have no idea what the result might be. I would be nervous about replacing granulated sugar with a liquid sweetener. I would worry about the cake setting up properly. If it does set up, I have a feeling that you'll have a cake with a very different texture (not necessarily a bad thing). I'm also not sure that I can imagine this cake with a maple-y flavor twist. But I'm a total wuss when it comes to experimentation in baking. If you're feeling brave and bold, and you decide to give it a shot, please do report back! I'm sorry that I can't be of any more help.

Jess, Do you think you can replace the sugar with ...

2010-02-18T11:36:40.457-05:00

Jess, Do you think you can replace the sugar with maple syrup in this? Perhaps add a bit more flour?

Anonymous - That's a good question. And I supp...

2009-12-30T22:48:12.329-05:00

Anonymous - That's a good question. And I suppose that I've only added to the confusion by calling it a tart in the body of the post, and a cake in the recipe title. I would actually say that it's a little bit of both. You're right that it's prepared like a simple cake; there's no separate tart shell. (That's part of the beauty of it, in my opinion.) But the result isn't exactly cake-like. It's rich and dense, and not at all spongy. More than once, I've been asked by (very satisfied) guests at my table about the "crust" and the "filling," and they're surprised to learn that the whole thing comes forth from a single batter. I think that's because the outside crisps up very nicely, and cracks and crumbles beneath the fork. Meanwhile, the inside is moist and buttery, almost like (a rather cakey) marzipan. Does that help? I hope that I haven't confused you even more! If you decide to give this recipe a go, I would be grateful to hear how it turns out, and where you would place it along the tart-cake continuum.

davidr - You just made my night! I love the idea of substituting almond flour. Do you know that despite my deep, abiding love for all things almond, I have never baked with almond flour? I bet it did all kinds of wonderful things to the texture and flavor of this tart. I'll have to give it a try. Thank you so much for reporting back.

newcookontheblock - Congratulations on your new blog! I'm always so happy to hear from local Boston bloggers. I'm honored that you decided to make this recipe a part of your holiday gifting, and I thank you for your kind words on your blog. I hope you're staying warm this winter. Happy New Year!

This was great! I just made it in tartlet form to ...

2009-12-30T16:35:04.167-05:00

This was great! I just made it in tartlet form to celebrate my Christmas-gift ramekins and I loved it. I posted a link to the recipe on my little blog at http://newcookontheblock.com/2009/12/30/sweet-amandine-tartlets/.

Thanks for sharing, and it's great to see other Cambridge food bloggers out there :D

Thank you!!! My kids are gluten-free, so I used al...

2009-12-29T13:32:34.733-05:00

Thank you!!! My kids are gluten-free, so I used almond flour instead. Wow! Even my husband, who is not a big desert fan loved it. This is a keeper!

This looks delicious. Is it more of a cake or tart...

2009-12-28T14:08:50.172-05:00

This looks delicious. Is it more of a cake or tart? It looks like the latter in the picture but the method seems to produce a cake batter as there is no separate recipe for crust.

I'm so glad to hear it, Sue. Thanks for repor...

2009-12-16T13:52:18.350-05:00

I'm so glad to hear it, Sue. Thanks for reporting back.

The cake was a big hit. I did use the springform ...

2009-11-05T09:40:09.684-05:00

The cake was a big hit. I did use the springform pan and it worked great.

Anonymous - No problem at all. Sue - Congratulati...

2009-09-22T09:27:49.351-04:00

Anonymous - No problem at all.

Sue - Congratulations on your son's marriage. Celebrating with this cake sounds like a wonderful idea. Thanks for your note!

I just tried this "cake" at a neighborho...

2009-08-09T17:11:36.020-04:00

I just tried this "cake" at a neighborhood gathering and I feel in love with it and had to have the recipe. I believe she made it in a springform pan, though. I plan to serve it at our son's rehearsal dinner next month. Delicious!

Thank you so much, Jess.

2009-07-27T09:46:07.442-04:00

Thank you so much, Jess.

Hello, Anonymous. "T" stands for tables...

2009-07-27T08:08:29.081-04:00

Hello, Anonymous. "T" stands for tablespoon, as opposed to "t" or "tsp," which stands for teaspoon. I hope that clears things up.

Could somebody explain what "T" stands f...

2009-07-27T04:16:27.896-04:00

Could somebody explain what "T" stands for in "3 T sliced almonds". Thank you.

Hi, Anonymous. I would say that the inside of thi...

2009-07-20T19:44:53.370-04:00

Hi, Anonymous. I would say that the inside of this tart is soft, rich, and dense. The outer edge (meaning, the perimeter that bakes against the pan) can be a little hard and crumbly, and there are always a few sliced almonds and sprinklings of sugar that fall off onto the plate. (Perfect for a final press with the finger, and an indulgent lick.) Happy baking!

I've been looking for this almond cookie/cake ...

2009-07-20T19:15:19.257-04:00

I've been looking for this almond cookie/cake I tried a few wks ago from a bakery I found. So I've been trying to find a recipe similar to it and your picture seems to match it. I mean I plan on making yours non the less since the reviews all say how amazing it is. I just wanted to know, is it soft on the inside and is it crumbly?
Thanks so much!

Hi, Shannalee. I don't know how you managed to re...

2009-04-07T00:26:00.000-04:00

Hi, Shannalee. I don't know how you managed to restrain yourself! This cake is just the thing for a fix of rich, almondy goodness. I can't wait for your first taste. If the folks over at Starbucks knew how easy it is to throw this recipe together, maybe they would start selling slices of this cake too!