Hold the Flour

In my mind, spring has always been associated with delicate cakes. That’s because when I was growing up, my mother always made wonderful light cakes for Passover. She used no wheat flour or leavening to conform to Passover regulations and she usually left out the butter, which, considering our current health obsession, made her cakes ahead of their time.

Of all Passover cakes, my favorites are those made with nuts. Nut cakes are delicious even when served plain--and the cakes keep well because the nuts help prevent them from becoming dry.

Most nut-based cakes are basically sponge cakes that gain their body from ground nuts instead of flour. The nuts are ground in a food processor with some of the sugar, which helps ensure that they become a fine powder rather than a pasty nut butter. For Passover, these cakes usually contain a small amount of matzo meal or ground matzo, which also helps support the cake; otherwise, a small amount of flour is used.

Like other sponge cakes, nut cakes owe their ethereal texture to air. The yolks and whites are beaten separately to incorporate air into both, and they’re then blended gently and quickly with the other ingredients. The nuts are folded into the batter in several batches; if you add them all at once, their weight would make the batter fall. The batter is baked immediately, so it loses as little air as possible and rises properly.

In Europe, nut cakes are often combined with fillings and frostings to make complex layer cakes called tortes. But a simple nut cake served with fruit sauce is easier on the schedule, not to mention the waistline. And if you serve the cake with ripe, flavorful fruit, you won’t miss the frosting at all.

This lemon-scented cake is delicious with strawberry or raspberry sauce and fresh berries. If you like, garnish each serving with a sprig of fresh mint.

PASSOVER ALMOND CAKE

1 2/3 cups whole unblanched almonds

1/4 cup matzo meal

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

Salt

Fresh Strawberry Sauce or Raspberry Sauce

Sliced strawberries, whole raspberries or blackberries, or mixed berries for garnish

Grind almonds with matzo meal and 1/4 cup sugar in food processor until fine. Beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon zest just until blended.

Whip egg whites with dash salt until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff and shiny.

Alternately fold whites and almond mixture into yolk mixture, each in 3 batches. Transfer to greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees about 35 minutes or until wood pick inserted in center of cake comes out dry. Cool slightly, then run metal spatula gently around cake and remove sides of springform pan. Cool cake on rack. Cake will sink slightly.

To serve, cut cake into wedges and place on dessert plates. Spoon little sauce next to cake and garnish with berries. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving, with sauce, contains about:

386 calories; 65 mg sodium; 106 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 1.90 grams fiber; 43% calories from fat.

Serve this sauce or the raspberry variation with any nut cake accompanied with sliced or whole berries or sliced kiwi, mangoes or bananas.

Fresh Strawberry Sauce

4 cups fresh strawberries

6 tablespoons sugar or to taste

2 teaspoons lemon juice or to taste, optional

Puree strawberries with 6 tablespoons sugar in food processor or blender until smooth. Remove. Add lemon juice to taste and more sugar if needed. Makes 8 servings.