Luke's Super Sweet Twenty-Six

My Sweet Sixteen party was a night to remember. But not in the best way imaginable…

I had chosen a Barbie cake, you know the one where the cake is the Barbie’s skirt and then the baker puts an actual Barbie on top covered in icing?

Well, when the bakery made a slab cake and put a tiny Barbie in the corner instead of my special Barbie cake, I made myself into a super un-sweet person.

They realized their mistake and they not only gave me the slab cake for free, but they also gifted me with a dozen of roses. I should have taken the roses and the cake and smiled because everything was free, but I didn’t. I pouted.

That’s right, I pouted. But that was a long time and enough about me. 

Now it’s time to celebrate Luke’s Super Sweet Twenty-Six. Happy Birthday Sweetie! 

Here’s my Lemon Almond cake recipe; it’s sure to knock your socks off!

Lemon Almond Cake - serves 12 large slices or lots of little bites!

Zest, juice, and pulp from two large lemons (reserve juice for topping)

1 cup raisins

1/3 cup slivered almonds

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup butter

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup milk

2 eggs

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine lemon zest, 1/3 cup slivered almonds, and raisins in a food processor and pulse under ground.

3. Add butter and 1 ½ cups sugar, and pulse until combined.

4. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine eggs, almond extract, and milk in another medium bowl. Add flour and milk mixtures alternately, ½ cup or so at a time, until batter is all combined.

5. Smooth cake batter into a large spring form pan and bake for about 40-50 minutes or until the top of the cake begins to brown and bounces back when lightly touched.

6. As soon as the cake is out of the oven, evenly pour lemon juice over it. Toss remaining ½ cup sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle that over top of cake. Lastly, toss on remaining ¼ cup slivered almonds.

Now, I think this is a great cake. Just please, if it doesn’t knock your socks off, no pouting!