When my eldest daughter was young, her face always lit up when she heard that I was baking Figaro cake. The recipe for this nut-filled treat, passed along by my sister, is both dear to my heart and equally delicious. I have fond memories of eating Figaro and listening to the record player as the house filled with the scent of freshly baked Figaro cake.
Figaro Cake
3/4 cup butter or margarine
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cup flour
Juice and zest from half a lemon
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup ground nuts
1 1/2 cup apricot jam or marmalade (optional)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Mix the butter with the powdered sugar in a bowl. Add the egg yolks one at a time. While stirring the mixture, add the lemon juice, grated lemon zest, baking powder and flour. Spread on a 13x11-inch pan (mixture should not be thicker than a finger in the pan).
When the dough rises and turns slightly golden, immediately remove pan from the oven and spread a layer of jam on top. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until frothy, add nuts and white sugar, and pour the mixture on top of the jam. Place pan back in the oven to bake again at the same low temperature. Bake until cake is cooked and brown on top. Remove from oven and cool. When cool, cut into squares and enjoy.
Figaro Cake
3/4 cup butter or margarine
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cup flour
Juice and zest from half a lemon
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup ground nuts
1 1/2 cup apricot jam or marmalade (optional)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Mix the butter with the powdered sugar in a bowl. Add the egg yolks one at a time. While stirring the mixture, add the lemon juice, grated lemon zest, baking powder and flour. Spread on a 13x11-inch pan (mixture should not be thicker than a finger in the pan).
When the dough rises and turns slightly golden, immediately remove pan from the oven and spread a layer of jam on top. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until frothy, add nuts and white sugar, and pour the mixture on top of the jam. Place pan back in the oven to bake again at the same low temperature. Bake until cake is cooked and brown on top. Remove from oven and cool. When cool, cut into squares and enjoy.
