A spoonful of sugar
Monday, February 11, 2008 at 10:45AM 
With our impending arrival well on its way, we are currently attempting to reiterate the importance of sharing to our first born. Though his universe has happily (and steadily) revolved around Ben for the past two years, we have come to the point when patience, respect and understanding are becoming part of our daily conversations.
I am terribly thankful for his gaggle of contemporaries who help him in his education. He has had to learn that not everyone plays with blocks in exactly the same way, that many little hands can create stories with the Little People and that cuddles can be given to cousins and friends - not just Mummies and Daddies. He has started to learn to take his time with those younger, to allow for the independence of those older, and to realize that he is not the only one who would like a cookie. He has seen that our lives are interconnected with those of others; we share our days and ourselves, as well as our toys.
Such is the case with our Valentine's Day festivities. Even though Sean and I will have our own evening out, the day itself is saved for the shared celebration of both the sweethearts in my life. Each bring me such happy contentment, Benjamin will see that instead of choosing just one (something I could never do), I would rather choose to spoil everyone. He will see that treats, consideration and hugs can be shared equally, and that there is as much joy in the giving as in the receiving.
A weeknight family dinner calls for a dessert that is special but does not take too much attention away from enjoying everyone's company. Nothing too elaborate or fussy, an offering as perfectly sweet as those gathered around the table.
This cake is dense and moist, with the fine texture of a pound cake. The richness of butter and cream cheese is underscored by mellow almond and luscious bits of white chocolate that only almost melt into the batter. Perfect on its own, sublime when topped with raspberry sauce, and decadently stodgy as the base of a midwinter trifle - it is sure to send more than one heart aflutter.
If one happens to have miniature tube or Bundt pans, this batter makes adorable little plated desserts; the perfect size for two, or in our case three, forks to share.
White chocolate almond cake
From a variety of inspirations.
Ingredients
Melted butter for greasing the pan
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup finely chopped white chocolate
Almond simple syrup (optional)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Using a pastry brush or kitchen towel, lightly coat a 10" tube pan with melted butter.
Sift together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or with an electric beater, cream together the softened butter, cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. This will take about 5 minutes, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides again and beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts.
With the mixer on low, add the flour in two additions, alternating with the milk. Mix until just combined. With the mixer still on low (or with a rubber spatula), stir in the white chocolate. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, mounding the edges up slightly and leaving a bit of a furrow through the middle. Hit the pan against the counter to remove any trapped air bubbles.
While cake is baking, combine the water, sugar and almond extract in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup becomes thick.
The cakes should be done after 75-85 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Allow to cool in pan, on a wire rack, for 10 minutes.
Turn the cake out onto the rack (see note) and, use a pastry brush to coat the cake entirely with the syrup. Allow to cool completely.
Notes:
• You will want to suspend the rack over a sheet pan to catch the excess glaze. A spoon can also be used to glaze the cake, but I prefer the finer finish a pastry brush offers.
• For a citrus variation, omit the almond extract and white chocolate from the cake. Add 1 teaspoon grated zest of your choice and one tablespoon of freshly-squeezed juice replaces the same amount of milk. For the syrup, omit the extract and substitute juice for the water.
• For a chocolate chip version, the white chocolate can be substituted with 3/4 cup bittersweet and the almond extract can be omitted (but this is not necessary). The syrup is made more of a glaze, substituting the extract with 1 teaspoon cocoa powder and boiling the mixture gently for 5 minutes. Spoon this over the top of the cake, allowing it to dribble down the sides.
Bundt, almond, baking, cake, cream cheese, dessert, holiday, pound cake, recipe, sweet 
Reader Comments (17)
Tara! this looks awesome! simply fabulous, and I so loved your post and how you balance love in your life:)
That cake looks so good!
Another yummy dessert from my favourite baker! I swear you should have your own bakery one of these days. And I have no doubt that little Ben is going to make a fabulous big brother, more than willing to share everything with his new sibling, although maybe not his share of dessert ;)
beautifully elegant!
This looks simply beautiful. Clearly understated, yet very tempting all the same :) Happy Valentine's!
Cake looks good and sounds delightful especially with a cup of tea. Yum!
Thanks
Sharona May
Delicious looking, and so, another piece of exciting news?
mansai desai, I must say I consider myself rather lucky.
Thanks kevin!
michèle, you know I would love nothing less! Thanks for the vote of confidence on Ben, he can be a stubborn (though lovely) pupil.
aforkfulofspaghetti, I am glad you think so.
onehaven, to you and yours as well!
sharona may, this cake is the perfect partner to a nice cuppa. The texture is moist, but dense in a way similar to a tea cake.
bea, we are very excited about our news and (soon to be) latest addition. Couldn't be happier, in fact.
Hi Tara- I somehow hopped, skipped and jumped over to your blog and have really enjoyed your entries and recipes. I made the white chocolate almond cake this evening, and it was lovely! My four year-old and 18 month-old girls "helped." We halved the recipe and poured the batter into six mini-bundt pans and baked them for a half hour or so. We ate them warm sans simple syrup or coulis-- just some ripe pear slices, which were a nice complement to the almond and white chocolate flavors. Yum! Just wanted to say thanks for that simple yet decadent recipe, and congrats on your pending arrival-- this is such a special time for you and your family!
Nothing bundt cake! Oh, this sounds wonderful!! Thank you for sharing!
You're very lucky yo have such a wonderful little boy. I think Ben is going to be a mighty fine big brother too! :)
This cake looks really magnificent and I can't wait to try it myself. Might make mini-cakes instead.
Thanks again for a wonderful post and recipe Tara.
This is going on my to-make list and will be made very soon! Delicious!
hayley, I am thrilled to hear that you not only tried the recipe, but also to such pleasing results. I hope your helpers enjoyed the making ... and the eating!
You're more than welcome, cakespy, my pleasure.
linda, thank you so much for saying so. We're rather proud of how our Benjamin is growing up, and cannot wait to introduce him to his little sibling. I'm sure adventures lay ahead. I do hope you enjoy the recipe.
tartelette, I hope you like the cake as much as we do!
What a lovely little confection, just beautiful! It really is elegant - and looks like it could be adapted for so many different occasions.
Dear Tara
Has time really flown by so quickly? It feels like not too long ago one we were first introduced to the little extra spoon in your family. Congratulations!
XO
S
I love reading your blog, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of plates are you using in this picture? I love love them! thanks, Desiree
ann, thank you so much for saying. It is truly an adaptable recipe, and one I've relied on in many forms. I hope you enjoy it if you ever make one.
S, yes time has flown - hasn't it? Our little man is getting ready to be a big brother, and I simply cannot believe it. Thanks for the congratulations.
desiree, thank you for the compliment. The plate is actually the top of a vintage three-tiered pastry stand by Fenton. It is similar to this one on http://cgi.ebay.com/FENTON-TIERED-MILK-GLASS-SPANISH-LACE-CAKE-SERVER-STAND_W0QQitemZ220232075367QQihZ012QQcategoryZ21QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" REL="nofollow">Ebay.