SERVES 16 • PREP: 45 MIN • BAKE: 25 TO 30 MIN
¾ cup whole natural almonds, chopped
4 large eggs
1
cups granulated sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ cup oil
1 tsp almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tub (8 oz) reduced-fat sour cream
FROSTING & POINSETTIAS
1 can (8 oz) or 1 roll (7 oz) almond paste
1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup whole milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract
Yellow, red and green paste or gel food color
½ cup cherry preserves
1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-in. round cake pans. Tap out excess flour.
2 Spread almonds on baking sheet; bake 8 minutes or until toasted. Let cool. Sprinkle in prepared pans.
3 Beat eggs in a large bowl with mixer on medium-high speed until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar, then baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat 1 minute. Beat in butter, oil and almond extract. With mixer on low speed, beat in flour in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream in 2 additions just until blended. Divide between pans; spread evenly.
4 Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around cakes, invert on rack and let cool completely.
5 Frosting: Finely grate 2 Tbsp almond paste (reserve remaining for poinsettias). Beat grated almond paste and butter in large bowl with mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar, milk and extracts and beat until fluffy.
6 Poinsettias (see Tip): Knead yellow food color into ½ Tbsp of remaining almond paste. Knead red color into 
remaining paste, green into the rest. Place red paste on (not in) a gallon-size ziptop bag. With a rolling pin, roll out to 
in. thick. Cut out petals with a pizza wheel or small knife; peel off bag. Wipe bag clean; repeat with green paste to make leaves. Roll yellow paste into tiny balls. Make markings on leaves with back of knife.
7 Place 1 cake layer, almond side down, on serving plate. Spread top with cherry preserves up to ½ in. from edge. Top with remaining cake layer, almond side down. Spread frosting over top and sides.
8 To decorate: Arrange petals and leaves on cake to make poinsettias; glue yellow balls in centers with frosting. Refrigerate until serving. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
PER SERVING: 594 cal, 8 g pro, 72 g car, 1 g fiber, 32 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 97 mg chol, 375 mg sod
Tip: Wear disposable thin rubber gloves when kneading food color into the almond paste to keep from staining your hands.
