Hi, it’s Liz and I’m presenting a recipe for delicious Almond Yogurt Cakes today. I made these mini cakes for a Sunday afternoon coffee and cake gathering. Here in Germany we call these kind of get-togethers "Kaffeeklatsch". The sun was out, it was warm and I opened the doors to my terrace. The kids ran in and out and the border between inside and out slowly faded. Aaah. What a lovely afternoon!

I had childhood memories of sitting on my grandparents’ terrace with my cousins around the table with an old-fashioned tablecloth having cake together. Their garden was filled with flowers, fruit trees and bushes and we kids had tons of fun spending the weekends and holidays exploring it. When I made these almond yogurt cakes and set the table, I imagined my grandparents’ terrace and tried to capture the image I had in my head. That is why I selected a variety of vintage plates and delicate little hand-crocheted doilies, picked some pretty flowers, sprinkled the toasted almonds on top of the mini cakes and was ready for a traditional German "Kaffeeklatsch" with my grandparents!

R E C I P E Mini Almond Yogurt Cakes (10 servings) 3/4 cups finely ground almonds (with skins) 1/2 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder pinch of salt 3/4 cups butter at room temperature 3/4 cups sugar 3 eggs 1 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 cup plain yogurt powdered sugar for the icing almond slices, toasted edible flowers (your choice)

H O W  T O Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the mini cake pans (e.g. a silicone form). In a large bowl, whisk together almonds, flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the eggs and the almond extract, beating well. Beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the yogurt. Transfer the batter to the pans and bake the cakes until they are golden, 15-18 minutes.

R E M E M B E R Before serving, make the icing and pour over the cooled-off cakes. Sprinkle with toasted almond slices and a few edible flowers for color and texture. Enjoy!

S T Y L E  T I P Do you have childhood memories that come to mind while preparing food? Try to capture them and bring them into the presentation, even in a small way. They are precious and are worth celebrating!

(text/images: lisa nieschlag editing: holly becker)