(Recipe adapted from Soframiz, by Anna Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick)

Ingredients

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. coarse kosher salt

6 eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp. rose water

8 oz. almond paste (available at most supermarkets), cut into small pieces

1 1/4 c. granulated sugar

2 1/4 sticks (9 oz.)  unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for oiling pan

Powdered sugar, for dusting cooled cake 

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line bottom of pan with a round of parchment paper. Lightly butter paper; set aside.

Whisk together flour baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Place eggs and rose water (or 1 1/2 tsp. almond extract) in a separate medium bowl, (do not mix together. set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat almond paste and sugar together on low speed until paste is broken into tiny pieces. Add in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until each addition is incorporated before adding the next one. Stop machine and scrape down bowl.

Turn machine to medium and beat mixture until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Turn machine to low and add eggs and rose water, pouring in one egg at a time until each one is incorporated. Add flour mixture and mix on low just until incorporated.

Spoon batter into an even layer and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until center of cake spring back when touched. Cool cake in pan on a cooling rack.

Before serving, turn cake out onto a platter, peel off parchment paper, and dust lightly with powdered sugar.

 Makes 8 servings.