1 1/3 c Almonds, blanched & slivered 5 ts Lemon peel, grated, packed
8 tb Sugar 1/2 ts Cinnamon, ground
4 lg Eggs, separated pn Salt
Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter and flour a 9″ round cake pan with 1
1/2″ sides. Line bottom of pan with waxed paper. Finely grind the
almonds with 2 Tbsp of the sugar in a food processor. Combine the
yolks, 2 Tbsp sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl.
Using electric mixer, beat until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the almond mixture.
Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until soft
peaks form. Gradually add 4 Tbsp sugar, beating until stiff, but not
dry. Fold a large spoonful of whites into the almond mixture. Gently
fold in the remaining whites.
Transfer batter to pan. Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 35
minutes. Cool in pan on a rack, turn out on a platter.
Almond and citrus trees cover Majorca’s landscape, so it’s no
surprise that this cake, called Gato, is offered in restuarants all
over Palma. It is usually topped with almond ice cream.
Yields
8 servings