French Almond Cake (Le Saint-Germain)
User Reviews
5
French Almond Cake (Le Saint-Germain)
Description
French Almond Cake (Le Saint-Germain) is a tart that highlights the rich flavor of almonds combined with dark rum. The base is a sweet pastry shell that is blind-baked before being topped with a smooth almond filling enriched with butter, sugar, eggs, and ground almonds. Slivered almonds sprinkled on the pastry base provide an added layer of texture. Once assembled, the tart is baked until the filling is set and the edges are lightly golden. After cooling, the cake is glazed with a mixture of confectioners sugar, rum, and lemon juice, lending a shiny finish and a subtle citrus brightness to complement the almond flavor.
The cake has a soft yet firm almond filling with a buttery crust that provides structure. The rum adds depth without overpowering, creating a balanced dessert. This cake is traditionally chilled for a day or more to allow the flavors to develop fully, resulting in a more intense and harmonious taste. It is typically served at room temperature to best appreciate the nuances of flavor and texture.
Additional preparation notes include the option to make this cake without the pastry base, which makes the result gluten free and slightly different in texture and baking time. Adjusting the amount of filling and baking duration can also create a larger tart. The rum used can be substituted with water and flavored alternatives for a non-alcoholic version.
Ingredients
Sweet Pastry Base (optional): see recipe below
Almond Filling:
- 100 g (3.5oz/ ¼ cup + 3 tbsp) butter softened, unsalted
- 75 g (3oz/ ⅜ cup) sugar
- 2 medium egg organic, at room temperature
- 100 g (3.5oz/ 1 cup) ground almonds (almond flour)
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- 25 g (1oz/ 2 tbsp) almonds slivered
Glaze:
- 6 tablespoon confectioners sugar aka icing sugar, powdered
- 2 tablespoon dark rum or 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
Sweet Pastry (optional):
- Follow the recipe for pâte sucrée below. Blind bake first for 15 minutes and set aside to cool. This step can be done 2-3 days in advance.Omit step 7 of baking uncovered. (Instead the almond cream is added to the pastry shell and baked together.)
Almond and Rum Filling:
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the eggs, ground almonds and rum (see NOTES).
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4/360°F.Sprinkle the slivered almonds on the base of the baked pastry base then spread on the almond filling (or pipe in a spiral). Bake further in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Rum Glaze:
- Mix together the icing/powdered sugar with the rum and lemon juice until a spreadable consistency. Spread the glaze on to the cooled almond tart using a palette knife.
Notes
- For best flavor, chill the cake for 24 hours or more before serving; it improves notably after 2 days.
- If omitting the pastry base for a gluten-free version, add an extra egg to the almond filling.
- When using the full sweet pastry recipe, double the filling and bake longer (35-40 minutes) for a larger tart.
- Use good quality dark rum for the filling and glaze; to avoid alcohol, substitute with water and add an orange blossom or lemon juice flavor.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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