Christmas Jam And Almond Cake: A Delicious Recipe

Inspired by a Portuguese cake and upon finding a Christmas jam made with oranges, apples, and spices in the store, I had the idea to create this Christmas jam and almond cake. It's a moist cake with a delightful amaretti biscuit flavor. I invite you to discover this tasty and easy-to-make recipe through pictures.

Ingredients

Here are the necessary ingredients to prepare a Christmas jam and almond cake for 6 people:

- 250 g of almond powder.
- 200 g of Christmas jam.
- 3 eggs.
- 50 g of sugar.
- A pinch of salt.
- A knob of butter for the mold.

Note: For this recipe, I used Lucien Georgelin's Christmas jam made with oranges, apples, and gingerbread. If unavailable, you can use simple orange marmalade and add gingerbread spices to the cake batter if desired.

Egg Preparation

The Christmas jam and almond cake has the dual advantage of requiring few ingredients and being very quick to make. Like the Portuguese cake made with Siam pumpkin jam it is inspired by, it is very simply prepared with eggs and almond powder instead of flour.

However, unlike the original Portuguese recipe, I chose to separate the eggs and whip the whites to stiff peaks to give this Christmas cake a more tender texture.

1- Separate the eggs and set the yolks aside in a large container.

2- Add a pinch of salt to the whites.

3- Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they form firm peaks, as shown in the picture below.

Cake Batter Preparation

To facilitate the preparation of this Christmas jam and almond cake, I advise you to also use an electric mixer for the cake batter.

1- Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until ribbon stage. They should triple in volume and become pale yellow.

2- Fold in the Christmas jam while continuing to whisk with the mixer.

3- Gradually add the almond flour. Due to the significant amount of almond flour, it is normal for the batter to become thick and difficult to work with.

4- To finish the cake batter and loosen it up, fold in the beaten egg whites using a flexible spatula.

Baking the cake

1- Preheat your oven to 350°F.

2- Pour the mixture into a buttered cake pan.

3- Bake the Christmas jam and almond cake for 40 minutes.

Note: If the top of the cake browns too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 320°F. Use a knife to check if the inside is cooked: a blade inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean.

Tasting Tips

Let the Christmas jam and almond cake cool before turning it out onto a serving plate.

For an even more festive look, you can dust this cake with icing sugar and decorate it with whole almonds, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries.

You can also complete the decoration with candied orange zest and spices like star anise to echo the flavors of this Christmas cake.