Cranberry Almond Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 oz fresh cranberries
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds

Directions

1. Combine the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl, stirring until the leavener is evenly worked through; put this bowl aside. Heat the oven to 350ºF.
2. In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy, beginning on low and moving up to high. Beat in the eggs along with the vanilla and almond extract, starting low again, then raising to high for about 1 minute, until the mixture looks creamy and very light.
3. Beat in 1/2 of the flour mixture on low, stopping once the dry ingredients disappear into the batter. Pour in 1/2 of the milk and mix until it blends in; if it seems a bit uneven at first, don’t worry. Do the same with the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining milk. You should have a fluffy, light cake batter.
4. Rinse the cranberries, then give them a rough chop so each one is cut at least in half. Fold 1/2 of the chopped cranberries into the batter. After coating a 9-inch pie plate with non-stick spray, add the batter and spread it out, then scatter the remaining cranberries over the surface. With your fingers, nudge the cranberry pieces a little way down into the top of the batter. Sprinkle the almonds over everything and press them gently into the batter.
5. Bake for 35 minutes, stopping when the surface of the cake and the almonds have taken on a light brown color.