Tuscan Almond Torte

I'll tell you up front that this may not be the easiest recipe, and I would probably rate it as Moderate in level of difficulty. It's not that it's extremely difficult, but it does take a little bit of time (and money - the Almond paste & Mascarpone cheese are not cheap). This has become my favorite dessert to make for family, company, special events, and holidays. Everyone raves about it and it's by far one of my picky husband's favorites!

Tuscan Almond Torte
(For the amount of times I've made this, I still have yet to take a picture!)

Cake:

• 1 cup Sugar, granulated
• 1 cup Almond paste (comes in a tube or 8 oz can)
• 1/4 cup Butter, softened
• 4 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 cup Flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder

Topping:

• 1/2 cup whipping cream (the real stuff)
  
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 4 oz. Mascarpone cheese (1/2 tub)
• Chocolate bar (Hershey's works), chopped or shaved
  
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:
Beat 1 cup sugar, almond paste, and butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until blended (paste tends to clump, so this may take a little while). Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Sprinkle flour and baking powder atop; beat just till combined. Pour into a greased and floured 9-inch springform pan.

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen cake from sides of pan. Cool completely on rack. Remove sides of pan.

Chill mixing bowl and beaters. Right before serving, beat whipping cream with 1/4 cup sugar in the chilled bowl just till soft peaks form. Stir mascarpone cheese; fold into whipped cream.

To serve, transfer cake to a serving platter. Mound whipping cream mixture atop cake. Garnish with shaved chocolate and toasted almonds.

Make ahead directions: Seal cake in an airtight container. Cover and freeze up to 6 months. Thaw frozen cake int he refrigerator overnight. Let stand approximately 1 hour at room temperature before serving. Garnish cake as directed.