Chez Panisse Almond Torte
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Some of you know my sister Lindsey. Some of you have only read about her here and thus only know about her penchant for crust-based dishes — pies and quiches in particular — and her love for Peeps and leftovers.
Let me tell you a little bit more. Lindsey, while a wonderful cook, doesn’t quite share the enthusiasm for cooking that many of the women in my family do.
She doesn’t go to bed with a full belly dreaming about what she might cook up tomorrow morning nor does she subscribe to a single cooking magazine; to her, nothing could be more boring than a tv program on cooking and a discussion about recipes might send her straight into another room; and she has been known on more than one occasion to exclaim:
“Why does everything have to be such a production?!”
The older I get, I tend to agree with this last statement more and more. It’s the simplest meals with the most minimal cleanups that leave everyone the happiest.
I should also note that Lindsey is a doctor, has two children, plays in an orchestra and is far too busy to spend time toiling in the kitchen. That said, a few days ago I called her and much to my surprise discovered she had been in the kitchen whipping up an almond torte in preparation for a few visitors.
“Little Lindis!” I exclaimed. (Yes, my sister is 32, and I still call her by her childhood nickname. We also still chase each other up the stairs and shriek in fear when we get together…that’s normal, right?) “I am so impressed.”
“Oh please,” she replied. “It’s so easy. It’s the only thing I make anymore.”
My sister (and the family as a result) has been making this torte since 1997, when she discovered the recipe in my mother’s copy of Chez Panisse Desserts, which is now in my possession. Truly, this almond torte, made entirely in the food processor, is one of the simplest and most delicious desserts you could ever prepare.
It’s definitely for almond/marzipan lovers and like the orange-and-olive oil cake and Teddy’s apple cake, tastes better with each passing day, so don’t be afraid to make it a day or two in advance if you’re preparing for a holiday gathering.
Dusted with powdered sugar, nothing will look more elegant on your dessert table. I hope all of your holiday preparations are going well.
I am not partial to any particular brand of almond paste, but if you can find a 7-oz box (which seems to be standard), that is ideal for this recipe:
This torte is made entirely in the food processor. First the almond paste and sugar are blended:
Up Next, the butter and vanilla are added:
and blended:
Then the eggs are added one at time. This is what the finished batter looks like:
Chez Panisse Simple Almond Torte
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 to 10
Description
Adapted from Chez Panisse Desserts
Author Lindsey Shere’s notes: Serve this torte with a cup of coffee or tea or a glass of Sherry, or better, an Italian Aleatico or Passito. It is also good with sliced peaches or nectarines and crème anglaise.
Be sure to buy almond paste versus marzipan, which are often placed next to each other in the baking aisle. Second, the recipe in Chez Panisse Desserts calls for 8 oz. of almond paste, but we have always just used one of those tubes that usually weighs 7 oz. If you don’t have a scale and can’t find a 7-oz tube of almond paste, measure out the 7/8 cup, but don’t pack it too tightly.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 7/8 cup (7 oz./200g) soft almond paste, see notes above
- 1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp. almond extract (optional)
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup (4.5 oz/130g) flour
- 1½ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Beat the sugar with the almond paste until the almond paste is in fine pieces. Or, better, pulverize it in a food processor. Beat in the butter and the vanilla, then cream the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the whole eggs, one at a time — the eggs should be at room temperature — beating well after each addition so the eggs are thoroughly mixed in.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt, and beat in just until thoroughly blended.
- Butter a 9-inch springform pan and turn the batter into it, smoothing the top evenly. Bake for 1 to 1¼ hours (mine baked for 1¼ hours) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the center feels springy when you push it gently.
- Let cool for about 20 minutes before releasing the sides of the springform pan.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American/French
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328 Comments on “Chez Panisse Almond Torte”
Mi e’ piaciuto molto il commento che hai fatto sulla torta e su tua sorella. La torta sara’ buonissima ma non capisco molto la ricetta, anche se hai descritto tutto molto bene.Saluti.
I made this cake a day in advance and reheated in the oven (just a few slices)- it develops a really nice “crust” so you get almost a crispy layer with soft interior that we really liked! I’d recommend trying that out if you haven’t- thanks for the great recipe!
So fun, Will! Love the idea of a crispy layer! Will absolutely try this the next time I make it, which will be soon — this is a family fave. Thanks for writing in!
This tasted good but I was surprised how light and fluffy it was. I was expecting something denser. Is it supposed to be light?
Strange! It should be on the dense side. Question: did you beat the eggs/sugar/butter a lot?
Looks delish! Would it be good with a chocolate ganache or sauce?
Yes! But it truly doesn’t need anything. You could serve the sauce on the side. Chocolate and almond is always a nice match.
I’ve been raging all these comments on how it gets better with age. This is the one cake that I never had any leftovers from. I’ve made it at least a dozen times and had to steal a piece the last time so I could try it for breakfast. It smells so amazingwhile is baking a couldn’t imagine waiting too long to eat it.
So happy to hear this, Nathalie. You are funny sneaking a slice to save for next day 🙂 Love it. I love this one, too. xo
Should leftovers be refrigerated?
Can you substitute almond flour and if so, are there any additional changes that would need to be made?
Phil, you’ll need to make some additional changes if you use almond flour exclusively as it has no gluten in it. Some almond flour would be fine, but if you’re trying to make this gluten-free, I would use a gluten-free cake flour blend for some of the flour.
Ali, I subbed almond meal ( skin-on flour) for the paste, and mixed it with Caputo 00 Chef’s Flour. Result was a delicious torta baked in a removable- bottom tart pan for an hour. Although very good, I felt there was too much butter. Maybe 1/4 stick less next time, or even 1/2 stick less.
Please reformat my comment and leave a five star rating, which I was unable to gfo. Thanks.
So happy to hear this! I love the idea of being able to make this if you don’t have almond paste on hand. I left a 5-star rating for you here … I can’t actually add star-ratings on your behalf, so this was the best option 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks!
Does anyone else but me have trouble with the middle sinking, in this cake, as it cools??? I have made the cake many times and always the same results.
The cake is truly delicious sink hole or not.
I always have the sunken center and would fret if it weren’t for the photo accompanying the recipe. The cake shown has a sunken center.
My daughter made an almond torte with slices of nectarines on top using a different recipe which she no longer has . It made a nice tart contrast with the almond torte. Can slices of nectarines be added to this recipe ?
Definitely! Food52 did a variation with pear one year, and I made it and loved it.
The french pastry shop by us makes the mini almond cakes, always wanted to find the recipe, so happy I found your blog, Alexandra, can’t wait to make it. I usually make this almond cake: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/almond-cake-366229 it is also very good and easy to make.
Ohhhh, I love a new cake recipe rec and this one looks fabulous. Thanks so much for sending. Happy Thanksgiving!
This cake turned out beautifully. I had a little left over and poured them in paper cup. I baked it for 1hr 15 mins and it was perfect. The almond extract is a little strong so I will give it a miss the next time. The easiest cake ever to make and so delicious! I can wait to keep it till tomorrow. I wonder if anyone has added liquor to it or grated lemon zest? Thank you for the recipe!!
You know, I find almond extract to be too overpowering these days, so I often leave it out. I’ll make a note. Liquor and zest sound delicious. I say go for it!
Hi there. I cant seem to find almond paste anywhere in my country. Do you have any suggestions on how I might be able to make it?
Thnaks
Yemeena
I have used this recipe at https://theseasidebaker.com/how-to-make-homemade-almond-paste/ with great success. But there are plenty of other recipes for almond paste on the internet if you do a search.
This was one of my favorite desserts growing up! And FYI it turns out just fine with even less almond paste- we could never keep from stealing little slices of it before adding it to the cake 😉
Since I did not have enough eggs I decided to halve the recipe to test it. It is fantastic! I poured the batter into a buttered and floured 6 inch cake pan with 2 inch sides. I baked it around 45 – 50 minutes. Dusted with powdered sugar it was the cutest cake! Made in a food processor it is the quickest, simplest recipe but probably the best flavored cake I’ve ever made. As a former baker/chef, I only keep the very best recipes and this one goes in my collection.
I made this recipe with gluten free flour for my daughter who has celiac disease. It was delicious. It was the best cake I have made from scratch. Yo
I don’t have a food processor large enough for the batter. Can I mix the sugar and almond paste in a small processor and then finish the batter in a stand mixer?
I think so, yes! And if necessary, you can process the sugar and almond paste in batches.
This cake was so delicious! Light & fluffy right out of the oven but rich and dense(r) the morning after. I made my own almond paste using the recipe suggested by Wendy above and it turned out perfectly. Will definitely make again! 🙂
So happy to hear this, Joya! I have yet to make this with homemade almond paste … soon!
this recipe has been on the back of the box of almond paste for at least 30 years. how does chez p have the nerve to take credit for it?
Is it possible the almond paste company took it from Chez Panisse? I haven’t seen the box or the recipe, so I can’t say if it’s the same or not, but pastry Chef Lindsey Shere started as pastry chef at Chez Panisse in 1971.
Love this cake and so does my husband!! I made it according to the instructions and it’s wonderful. It was moist and dense and cracked just a little on the top. And, it is, indeed, better the next day. I think I’ll make another one for Valentine’s Day and take it to work for my colleagues. I have some heart shaped cake pans.
Could I substitute almond flour for part or all of the flour?
Maybe for part of the flour … the trouble with almond flour is that there is no gluten, so the structure of the cake will change. I hate for you to go through the effort for the cake to crumble upon being sliced.
I finally got around to making this delicious torte. It rose beautifully, with a lovely even color and perfect crumb. So easy to make and such wonderful results. However, even though I omitted the optional almond extract, the flavor was too almond-ful for me. But the texture of the cake was so perfect that I really want to make it again.
Any suggestions of what I could substitute for the almond paste to give a different flavor profile? I’m guessing that if the paste is simply omitted the texture will suffer, and more sugar would be needed?
Ali, this was a stunner! Will definitely be making it again. So beautifully moist.
I didn’t have ready made almond paste to hand and was too lazy to pop out to buy some, so made it myself. For anyone interested in doing the same, the measurements I used were: 1 cup of ground almonds, 1/2 cup of icing sugar (half the amount of sugar that most recipes recommend — it was plenty sweet & didn’t affect the final result), 1 egg white and a drop of almond essence. Mixed almonds and sugar, then added the egg white and essence. It worked beautifully in the cake!
So happy to hear this, Alexina! I am so going to try this. Honestly, the more I use almond paste, the more I find it a little artificial tasting. Love the idea of making it from scratch. Question for you: did you use freshly ground almonds or almond flour? And is icing sugar the same as confectioners sugar?
It’s surprisingly easy to make, takes minutes. It only occurred to me to try making it as I remembered watching my mother make the marzipan for the Christmas cake every year. I used what we call ground almonds in the UK, which I guess is the equivalent of your almond flour. And yes, confectioners sugar. It freezes well too!
Awesome, thanks so much Alexina! Eager to try this. Great tip re freezing, too.
hi hi! want to make this for a friend who is GF – do you think i could sub almond flour?
Rebecca … I don’t know?? I worry that there won’t be enough structure, though the eggs might be able to provide enough. My instinct is to advise using half almond flour and half gluten-free flour mix (Cup for Cup or KAF … a pre-mixed blend). Wish I could advise better!
Yummy. I wanted to use up my almond paste this recipe worked out great. I did however use it to make a pear upside down cake – dry caramel, fanned pears (canned), & batter on top. Baked up nicely. Thanks for the recipe!
Great to hear this, Riley!
This torte looks amazing! In the picture the slice looks as though there’s a thin layer of maybe raspberry jam under the confectioners sugar?
Nope! No jam 🙂 🙂 🙂
Tried this recipe for Xmas one year, and it was an absolute hit! I loved Chez Panisse back when I lived in the Bay Area and was so excited that this recipe was online now that we don’t live there anymore. The recipe turned out great, and while I topped it with fruit and a little powdered sugar, it was absolutely unnecessary. The cake was delectable on its own, and the one slice that was leftover was great with coffee the next morning!
So happy to hear this, Ann!
Can this be made ahead wrapped tight and frozen? I want this for Christmas but have limited time.
This cake was outstanding! Simple, moist and full of flavor and texture. Made it for a mixed crowd on Christmas-everyone raved. As a side, I made fresh raspberry coulis. It certainly did not need it but it was colorful and added a touch of festivity.
Btw, I am a ’97 graduate from PCI in Vancouver, BC. Studied French Baking and Pastry Arts. This cake inspired me to purchase Chez Panisse book-love him. Thank you for the recommendation.
*I am excited to try your Orange Olive Oil Cake. I recently bought the Citrus Olive Oil from Temecula and I’m raring to go…
Yay! So happy to hear this, Rozann! A raspberry coulis sounds perfect with this. Side note: I made this for my family over winter break and subbed olive oil for the butter. It was delicious too! I wish I could have done a side-by-side comparison … next time.
Happy New Year!
Hello! Have you ever tried the almond torte with almond flour instead of regular flour? Thanks!
I have, and it turned out very dense … no gluten, so the cake almost tasted like a pudding cake. I actually kind of liked it, but it’s the kind of thing I think people might think is weird. Are you trying to avoid gluten? If so, I think you’d have to use a mix of gf flour (like a mix such as Cup4Cup) and some almond flour as well.
Thank you so much for responding. My kids (and family) are skiers so I’m just trying to amp up the nutrition value of sweet breakfast! I just love this cake- it’s replaced my mothers southern pound cake. I’ll try your chocolate torte for ski fuel!
Best,
Karen
Oh fun! Love hear this. Wish I had as much energy as my kiddos, especially in the winter. I just want to sit inside and drink tea 🙂 🙂 🙂
I’ve lost count as to how many times I’ve baked almond torte but since I discovered the recipe, sometime in the last year, it’s become my go-to baked treat. It’s great for a dessert but more frequently I/we enjoy it during that time in the late afternoon where a cup of tea sounds like a good idea as does quelling the hunger coming on. This almond torte hits the spot. It’s so good, not too sweet and did I mention, so good?
So happy to hear this, Deb! It’s one of my favorites, too. And I couldn’t agree more … good at all times of day … even breakfast 🙂 🙂 🙂
Absolutely fabulous recipe! I made a few tweaks to make it gluten free, so instead of using my normal brand of Odense Almond Paste (not GF) I used Solo Almond Paste (which is gluten free). I also used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour Blend and am happy to report that there is no discernible difference in taste or texture between my version and the original. I think it’s a forgiving recipe to turn into a GF one because it’s quite a liquidy batter with the 6 eggs and subsequently hydrates the various flours in the GF blend more easily. I also wanted an orange forward flavor along with the almond so I added the zest of two Minneola oranges and about 1/4 cup of the juice. The other tweak I made to guild the lilly was to make a version of David Lebovitz’ Caramelized Almond Topping from his Swedish Almond cake. I added some orange zest and juice to that topping as well. It was a gorgeous addition to the Chez Panisse cake and really took this already wonderful cake right over the top!
Wow! All of this is amazing. I just googled “David Lebovitz’ Caramelized Almond Topping Swedish Almond cake” and I cannot wait to make it!! It looks glorious. OR I’ll just make the topping and use it here, as you suggest 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks for sharing.