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Almond Cake: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan.

In a bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Next, in the bowl of your electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until thoroughly mixed together. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract. Beat or fold in the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for about 18 - 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out just clean (you will notice that the cake is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan).

While the cake is baking prepare the Almond Topping. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir, over medium-low heat, until melted and the mixture comes to a boil.

As soon as the baked cake is removed from the oven, immediately pour the hot Almond Topping over the cake, smoothing with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Return the cake to the oven and bake for a further 18 - 20 minutes or until the topping turns a beautiful golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool completely before removing the sides of the springform pan. This cake can be covered and stored at room temperature for about two to three days.

Makes about 10 servings.

This Almond Cake recipe is one that I received in the best of ways. That is, from a friend (actually a friend of a friend). So you just know it's going to be good. So here's the story. My friend Pam has a friend, Barbara, who lives in Switzerland. They were corresponding one day and my friend just happened to mention joyofbaking.com and how she knew me. Well, it just so happened that her friend in Switzerland already knew about joyofbaking.com. Next thing you know Barbara and I are corresponding, talking about baking, of course, and she told me about a favorite Almond Cake recipe that she had found in a Swiss magazine. Her description of the cake intrigued me, because while it started with a simple white butter cake, once the cake was baked you immediately spread a sweet almond mixture on top and then the cake was further baked until the almond topping turns wonderfully caramelized and crispy. It sounded so good. She graciously offered to send me the recipe, and now, with her permission, I'm passing it on to you. Because, after all, good recipes are meant to be shared.

Making this Almond Cake is a two step process. The first step is to make the butter cake. Once the cake is in the oven then you make the almond topping. It simply involves heating, until boiling, sliced almonds, butter, sugar, and a little cream. Once you take the baked cake from the oven you immediately spread the hot almond mixture over the top of the hot cake. The cake is returned to the oven and baked until the topping caramelizes and turns a beautiful golden brown. You will find that as the almond topping cools it becomes wonderfully crispy so you will get crumbs when you cut into it. But those crumbs are so delicious. If truth be known, I think they're the best part. And I think others agree. Because when Barbara sent me the recipe she noted that the only problem she has with this Almond Cake is that her daughter keeps picking the almonds off the top.