Afternoon Tea Cake

Afternoon tea is a ritual at Linderhof. Every afternoon in spring, fall and winter, the kettle is put on, the tea pot taken down from it's shelf. It's filled with hot water to warm and the tea caddy is opened. Cup and saucer are put on a tray.
If I have company, I'll make a simple tea cake to serve with tea. This is a great tea cake. It's full of jam (any flavor you like -- I chose apricot). It's easy to make (the ingredients are always on hand), looks good on the plate and your company will feel like you went to a lot of trouble when you didn't really!

In Spring and fall we take our tea on either the front porch or in the breakfast room. Nothing like a quiet hour in the afternoon, chatting with a friend (with Mozart playing softly in the background), munching on a freshly baked tea cake and sipping a cup of freshly brewed Earl Grey.

JAM TEA CAKE

1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1/3 cup sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
pinch of salt
4 T. butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 t. pure almond extract
1 cup good quality thick fruit jam or preserves (I used apricot)
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour an 8 inch springform pan; set aside. Combine

butter, eggs, sour cream and almond extract in a mixing bowl. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. It may feel a bit elastic. Cover with spoonfuls of jam. Insert a butter knife and gently swirl to
marbleize jam into batter. Sprinkle almonds over the top.

Bake on center rack of preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before
removing the springform sides. Serve warm or at room temperature.