Rose Levy Beranbaum's Gâteau Breton

1. Preheat the oven: 20 minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

2. Spread almonds evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes, or until pale gold. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid overbrowning. Cool completely. In a food processor, process almonds with about 1/4 cup of sugar and salt until fairly fine but not powder fine.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix together remaining sugar and butter on medium speed for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in yolks, 1 at a time, beating for about 20 seconds between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4. Add almond mixture, kirsch, and vanilla and mix on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for about 20 seconds until evenly incorporated. Add flour in four parts, beating on the lowest speed for about 15 seconds and turning off the mixer between additions. Detach the beater and, with a silicone spatula, finish mixing in any flour that may remain, reaching to the bottom of the bowl. Using the silicone spatula, scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small off set spatula. If you are using a 1-inch-high tart pan, batter will be about 1/4 inch from the top of the pan and will rise to about 1/4 inch above the top during baking. In a 1 3/8-inch-high pan, the batter will be about 1 inch from the top and rise to about 3/8 inch from the top. (If using a cake pan, gateau will rise higher and dip slightly in the middle.)

5. With beaten egg, brush the top of cake well, using a little less than 1 tablespoon. Use the tines of a fork to make a crosshatch of three long lines in two directions. (If batter has softened, refrigerate or freeze it briefly to make it more firm.) The fork lines will help prevent batter from puffing up unevenly and after baking will leave a bare tracing.

6. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until deep golden brown and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. It should just begin to come away from the sides of the pan. An instant-read thermometer will register about 205°F (96°C).

7. Let cake cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. If using a pan with a removable bottom, remove the sides of the pan. Invert cake onto a cookie sheet and remove the pan bottom. Reinvert it onto a serving plate. Cool completely.

Special Equipment

One 9 1/2 by 1 3/8-inch (or 1-inch) fluted tart pan with removable bottom, preferably nonstick, or one 9 by 2-inch round cake pan, encircled with a cake strip, coated with baking spray with flour.