Serves up to 24
For the Cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons each: finely grated lemon and orange zest
1/4 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg
1/2 cup each: golden raisins, dark raisin, and dried cranberries
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cans (8 ounces each) almond paste, divided
For the Almond Buttercream
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 box (1 pound, 4 cups) confectioner’s sugar
Grease a 13- by 9-inch metal pan with vegetable cooking spray. Line pan bottom with parchment. Grease with vegetable cooking spray and the dust with flour, shaking pan to coat evenly. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
Rub flour, salt, baking powder, zests, and spices by hand in a medium bowl until well incorporated; set aside. Mix dried fruits with a couple tablespoon of the flour mixture; set aside. Beat butter until fluffy; beat in sugar until creamy smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until well combined. Beat in remaining flour to form a smooth batter. Stir in dried fruit; spread half the batter in prepared pan.
On a floured surface, roll 8 ounces of almond paste into an approximate 13- by 9-inch rectangle; lay over batter in pan. Spread remaining batter over almond paste.
Bake until and golden brown and a toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean, 50 minutes to an hour. Turn onto a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, mix milk and extracts. Beat butter and sugar until well blended; beat in milk mixture to form a smooth, creamy frosting.
Divide remaining almond paste into 12 portions and roll into balls. Frost cake, placing balls around cake perimeter. Garnish as desired with small spring flowers.
Cut into small pieces and serve.

Serves 12
Makes about 4 dozen
If you’ve got a tortilla press: Line the both sides of a tortilla press with parchment. Working 1 at a time, measure 2 teaspoons of dough, press dough into a thin 2-inch round. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
Serves 2
Serves 4
Makes 2 dozen
When ready to make lefse, stir flour into potato mixture to form smooth stiff dough; divide into scant 1/4-cup portions and cover with plastic wrap.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Stack 2 damp tea towels nearby. On a heavily floured work surface roll a portion of dough into an approximate 10-inch round, flipping and flouring the dough as you roll and re-flouring the surface to prevent dough from sticking. Drop rolled dough into hot skillet; cook until light spotty brown on bottom side and top side has lost its raw look, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Place lefse between towels, stacking them as they’ve cooked. Repeat with remaining dough, rolling one out as another cooks—a rhythm will develop as you work. (Lefse can be cooled to room temperature and stored in zipper-lock freezer bags up to 1 month.)
When ready to serve, set out butter, sugar, and cooked bacon. Heat a skillet (or griddle if serving a crowd) over strong medium. Working one at a time warm lefse quickly, passing them around as they are ready. Serve, letting each person roll up with bacon or scrambled eggs or spread with butter, sprinkle with sugar, and roll.
Here’s the perfect solution for when you don’t have the drive to start from scratch. This recipe can easily be halved – use a small saucepan.
We were going to post the recipe for my Cakey-Fudgy-Chewy Brownies this week (we even took a photo and everything!), but our friend Jamie over at
Serves 4
Serves 12