Almond Rum Cake

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon almond extract 
• 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 
• 0.8 teaspoon baking soda 
• 0.5 cup blanched almonds and finely chopped
• 0.7 cup butter softened
• 0.5 teaspoon cream of tartar 
• 2 teaspoons rum dark
• 3  eggs 
• 2.3 cups flour all-purpose
• 2 teaspoons juice of lemon 
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest 
• 0.8 cup milk 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1.5 cups sugar white

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• toothpicks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease one 10 inch tube pan and sprinkle the almonds evenly over the bottom.
2. Separate the eggs. In a bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg yolks, then the vanilla, almond extract, lemon juice, lemon rind, and milk.
4. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat into the creamed mixture. Stir in about 1/3 of the egg whites to lighten the batter and then fold in the rest gently but thoroughly. Turn batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 1-1/2 hours or until cake tests done when a toothpick inserted neat the center comes out clean. As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, sprinkle the top evenly with the rum.
6. Transfer to a rack to cool. Makes about 14 servings.