Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Brandy
- 1 tablespoon Cointreau
- 1 cup seedless grapes, halved
- 3/4 cup whole blanched almonds
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Crème Fraiche
Preparation
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 400°F.
Toss grapes with Brandy and Cointreau in a small bowl.
Pulse half of almonds with 1 tablespoon sugar in a blender until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and repeat with remaining almonds and 1 more tablespoon sugar.
Beat together butter and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and beat in ground almonds, flour, and salt until just combined.
Divide batter among 4 lightly buttered gratin dishes and press grapes lightly into batter. Bake in dishes on a baking sheet until cake is firm and pale golden with slightly darker edges, about 20 minutes.
Transfer cakes to a rack and cool slightly in dishes before serving, topped with crème fraiche.
