Cranberry-Almond Pound Cake

Ingredients:

- 2 cups fresh cranberries or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 ounces almond paste
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 10 tablespoons butter
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Directions:

- 1 A couple hours before baking, heat the water to a boil, remove from heat and add dried cranberries to soak up all of the liquid.
- 2 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- 3 Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan or two 9-inch round cake pans.
- 4 Stir the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together and set aside.
- 5 In a large mixing bowl, combine almond paste, almond extract, and sugar until it resembles wet sand.
- 6 Add the butter and beat with an electic mixer until fluffy or about 3 minutes.
- 7 Add the eggs individually, beating them in after each addition.
- 8 Add the dry ingredients gradually, alternating with the sour cream.
- 9 Beat 20 seconds and then gently fold all of the cranberries into the batter.
- 10 Pour the batter into the prepared pan (s) and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- 11 If desired, drizzle a light glaze of confectioners' sugar and milk over the cake and garnish with slivered almonds.