Gluten-Free Cherry Almond Heart Cake with Cherry Glaze

Almond Cake:

• 1 ½ cups finely ground almond flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 4 eggs, separated, room temperature
• ½ cup sugar, divided in half
• ¼ tsp almond extract
• 1 Tbsp Kirch or cherry liquor*
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• Additional Kirch for soak

Cherry Glaze:

• 1 Tbsp butter, melted
• ½ cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• ½ tbsp black cherry syrup or melted cherry jam
• 1-2 Tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in a small bowl and set aside while it cools to room temperature.

In a small bowl, whisk together almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form (about 2 minutes). With the mixer running, add cream of tartar and slowly add in ¼ cup of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and ¼ cup of sugar until pale. Add almond extract and Kirch. Whisk in dry ingredients until a paste forms.

Gently fold ½ cup of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture until incorporated. Add the rest of the egg white mixture and gently fold until no egg white streaks remain. Do not over mix, batter should be light and fluffy.

Prepare pan by using a pastry brush and lightly coating the pan with cooled melted butter. Add almond flour into pan and completely coat the pan, then discard the excess flour. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool 8-10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.

Brush warm cake with additional Kirch for more cherry flavor. Allow to cool completely.

In a small bowl, mix together melted butter, powdered sugar, and cherry syrup. Add milk until desired consistency, then pour over the cooled cake. Garnish with cherries and almond slices.

*Note: For a non-alcoholic substitution, use the juice from a jar of maraschino cherries.