INGREDIENTS:

Dry ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups blanched sliced almonds, toasted at 350°F for 15 minutes, divided
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Wet ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease a 9×9-inch pan well and set aside.

2. Throw ½ cup of the toasted almonds into the greased pan and tip the pan to coat the sides with the nuts.

3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and toss in another ½ cup of the almonds.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, buttermilk, and the almond and vanilla extracts; then pour over the dry ingredients and fold together gently. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the last ¼ cup almonds around the edge. (If you put them in the middle they’ll sink.)

5. Bake for 35 minutes. Without removing cake from oven gently lay a piece of foil over the whole pan, the foil need not be crimped on the pan and scatter the last ¼ cup almonds around the edge. (If you put them in the middle they’ll sink.)

6. Note: This cake is fragile in the oven, so don’t slam the oven door once the cake has started to rise.

MAKES ABOUT 12 SQUARES