Turkish Almond Cake Recipe (Badem Tatlisi)

A light, spongy almond cake moistened with syrup.

SYRUP
3 cups sugar
2.5 cups water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

CAKE
1.25 cups blanched, ground almonds
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
10 eggs at room temperature
.5 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
.5 cup chopped almonds

1. Make syrup first:  Dissolve the sugar in water and bring to a boil.  Simmer 10 minutes, add the lemon juice and simmer 5 minutes longer.  Remove from heat and cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a round 10″ diameter pan.
3. Mix ground almonds and flour together.  Beat the eggs with .5 cup sugar into a thick cream, mix in the vanilla and fold into the flour and almond batter.
4. Sprinkle .25 cup chopped almonds in the bottom of the greased pan and pour in the batter, topping with the remaining chopped almonds.  Bake 30-35 minutes. 
5. Remove from oven and pour the syrup over the hot cake.  Leave until all the syrup has been absorbed and serve with cream (or natural yogurt.)

Recipe from The Complete Book of Turkish Cooking by Ayla Esen Algar