Almond Gató

How to make gató or coca from almonds. Mallorca sweet

The cat almonds is a dessert typical of Mallorca , although his name might throw us a bit as gató means cake in French.

This kind of cake does not have flour, it is made from almonds and its crumb is very soft and fluffy. Very similar in flavor (not in texture) to the Santiago cake that we like so much.

It is so rich, that after trying it for the first time this recipe will surely go to the favorites list. It is very easy to do, we only have to prepare it with delicacy and smooth movements so that the whites do not come down. A little love and it will be perfect. 

It is usually accompanied with a scoop of almond ice cream, although we can use another if we cannot find it. The combination of Gató with almond ice cream is wonderful.

An almond cake with which to show off without having to spend hours in the kitchen.

Preparation of the base of the Gató of almonds

1. We need the almonds to be ground, so if we have bought them whole we have to crush them first with a food processor.
2. We preheat the oven to 170 degrees with heat up and down.
3. We put the ground almond in a bowl or a deep plate. 
4. We wash the lemon and grate the skin on the almond.
5. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon powder and mix well so that the almond is impregnated with the cinnamon and lemon. We reserve.
6. We separate the yolks from the whites of the 8 eggs. We put the yolks in a large bowl and the whites in another.

Meringue preparation

1. With electric rods we begin to whiten the yolks, beat for a few seconds and add approximately half the sugar.
2. We continue beating until the yolks change color and are like a whitish cream, the process can take about 3-5 minutes.
3. When we have the blanched yolks we mix them with the ground almond with smooth movements to maintain the texture. We reserve.
4. We began to mount the whites until stiff as if we were preparing a meringue.
5. Beat for a few seconds, add the rest of the sugar and continue beating until you get a meringue that does not fall when you tilt the bowl.  
6. With great care and enveloping movements, we mix the meringue with the mixture of yolks and almonds until it is well integrated.
7. It is very important to mix gently so that the whites do not fall and the Gató has a fluffy crumb.

Baking and final presentation of Gató de almendras

1. We line the bottom and walls of a mold of about 24-26 cm with baking paper.
2. We pour the content of our mixture into the mold.
3. We bake 35-40 minutes at 170 degrees. To check if it is done we prick with a knife and if it comes out clean it will be ready. We let it temper.
4. Carefully unmold and remove the baking paper. We turn the Gató around with the help of a plate. 
5. Sprinkle icing sugar on the Gató to decorate. If we want it to be more uniform and beautiful we can use a small strainer.

You can see all the step-by-step photos of the almond cat recipe in this album. Do not miss any detail and you will be left with an almond cake that will triumph between adults and children.

Tips for a perfect Almond Gató.

• Fresh eggs and quality almonds will help make this cake look impressive.
• You can toast the almonds in a frying pan over low heat, being careful not to burn them. The other option is to do it in the oven. It is important to let them temper before grinding.
• If you like the texture of the almond, you can Crush half of the almonds thoroughly, until it is almost like flour. And then crush the other half for less time, so that it is chopped thicker. So you will notice the almond when eating the cake.
• This Gató needs a lot of pampering, so in the whole process we have to do things slowly, with love and smooth movements. It is the only trick to make it perfect.