Currant and Almond Cake

Oh, what a day today was. It was my first day at my new job. I drove there excited and a little bit anxious. Totally unnecessarily. Where do I work? At a preschool. I do hope the job won't get in the way of my blogging, because I have to admit I've come to like it, and I'm so happy that you're using "my" recipes and leaving comments.

currant and almond cake

In the original recipe this cake is called an "Auflauf," which means a baked casserole. It should really be a casserole, something even like a soufflé. For some reason, mine came out as a cake. Maybe I baked it too long? I don't know. What I do know is that it was tasty and light.

It's a delicate, simple cake that's quick to put together. One serving has 212 calories, so it's not one of the really heavy desserts.

Red currants are rich in vitamins C and E and in fiber. And they're delicious, too. Combining red currants with black ones would be even tastier and healthier, since black currants are even richer in vitamins, and their skins contain a large amount of antioxidants, which protect against calcification of the blood vessels and against dementia.

currant and almond cake

The recipe and information come from the Eatsmarter website

Ingredients:

(serves 6)

• 250 g red currants
• liquid sweetener (to taste)
• 3 eggs
• 4 tbsp powdered sugar (about 40 g)
• a pinch of ground allspice
• a pinch of salt
• zest of ½ organic lemon (about 2 tsp)
• 125 ml milk (1.5%)
• 125 g all-purpose flour
• 4 tbsp slivered almonds (about 50 g)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Wash the currants and set them aside to drain. Use a fork to strip the currants from their stems and put them in a bowl. Drizzle with liquid sweetener to taste.

Crack the eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for 4-5 minutes until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, allspice and salt, and mix. Scald the lemon with boiling water, dry it and grate the zest, then gently fold it into the egg mixture together with the milk and flour.

Lightly grease a baking dish (I used a tart pan) and pour in the batter. Arrange the currants on top, sprinkle with the almonds and bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

currant and almond cake

Additional information:

Rolling the fruit in flour should keep it from sinking to the bottom (which, unfortunately, I forgot to do this time).

I baked mine longer, which gave me a tasty sponge-style cake.

1 serving contains:

fat - 8 g, unsaturated fatty acids - 1.6 g, protein - 9 g, fiber - 3 g, sugar (aside from the sugar in the fruit) - 7 g, calories - 212.