CARAMEL ALMOND CAKE (TOSCATåRTA)

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat the oven to 325 F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix almond paste and butter on low speed, 1 minute. Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a small bowl. Turn mixer up to medium and add the eggs one at a time to the almond paste mixture. Allow each egg to completely incorporate into the batter, about 30 seconds, before adding the next one; this will ensure a smooth batter. Slowly add flour and continue mixing just to incorporate, 10-15 seconds.
• Prepare a springform pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper (this will prevent the cake from sticking). Pour batter into the pan, spreading it evenly across the bottom. Parbake until lightly golden, 10 minutes.
• Caramel topping: While cake is in the oven, add ½ cup cream, sugar, glucose, and butter to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook undisturbed until caramel is light brown and registers 244 F on a kitchen thermometer, 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in almonds to combine. As you stir, avoid scraping up any browned caramel that may be sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Remove cake from the oven; it will be gooey and not fully cooked. Carefully pour the warm caramel onto the cake; spread evenly. Return to the oven; bake until the caramel is golden brown and bubbly, 10 minutes.
• Remove cake from oven and let cool, 10-15 minutes. The top will firm up as it cools. Remove cake from pan by running a knife around the edge, then remove the sides from the base. (Keep the cake on the base for serving.) While the cake is cooling, whip cream for serving: Place remaining 1 cup heavy cream in a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form, 30 seconds. Slice cooled cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream.