If you’re a chocoholic, you may not agree that this is World’s Best Cake at first glance, but please — don’t judge too quickly. Give this cake a chance.
A little background on this cake: One of my favorite places to find recipe inspiration — and just a flood of beautiful images — is Sweet Paul, a fantastic online and print magazine created by Paul Lowe, a fantastic Norwegian creative. I had the pleasure of working with him a bit at a previous job and he has the most wonderful style and taste. So when I saw him writing about “The World’s Best Cake” and photos of this beautiful meringue and cake layered affair, I had to give it a try. Oh, and it has almonds. I love anything with almonds!
Yes, I was a little hesitant about making the World’s Best Cake because it looks architecturally challenging, but it wasn’t an ordeal to cut the cake in half, and the results are insanely beautiful. I made it when my best friend came over for dinner and she felt appropriately spoiled. The mixture of the chewy-crisp meringue and delicate cake is amazing.
INGREDIENTS
10½ tablespoons (1 stick plus 21⁄2 tablespoons) butter, softened
12⁄ 3 cups granulated sugar, separated
11⁄ 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 large eggs, separated
1⁄ 3 cup whole milk
1⁄4 cup sliced almonds
1 cup heavy cream
1⁄2 vanilla bean
STEPS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle position. Line an 8-x-12-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Paul recommends using metal versus glass pans.
- Beat the butter and 2⁄ 3 cup of the sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the flour and baking powder and mix well on low speed.
- Mix in the egg yolks and milk.
- Scrape the batter into the baking pan.
- Next, in a large clean bowl, beat the egg whites and the remaining 1 cup sugar to soft peaks. Spread on top of the cake layer. Sprinkle with the almond slices.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown and puffed. Cool on a wire rack in the pan. Transfer to a cutting board.
- When the cake is cool, put the cream in a medium bowl and scrape in the vanilla seeds. Discard the vanilla pod. Beat to soft peaks with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes.
- Cut the cake in half crosswise with a serrated knife. Place one half of the cake on a serving tray and cover with the cream. Place the other half, meringue side up, on top.
- Let the cake sit for 1 hour in the fridge before serving. I served with a bowl of berries. There’s very little in the dessert department that I don’t serve with a bowl of berries 😉
