Peruse your way through Europe and you'll find variants of the Italian almond cake gracing many Mediterranean menus. A particular recipe, shared by culinary expert Susan Shapiro Jaslove, finds its roots in the traditional Passover festivities observed in Italy. A departure from the norm, this toothsome delight is gluten-free, preferring to incorporate whole almonds and matzo meal instead of flour. The resulting confection is light, wonderfully textured, and not cloyingly sweet.

What is it called in Italia? Quite often, it earns the moniker "torta di mandorle", the literal English translation being "almond cake". However, it doesn't stop there. Fun fact, this same title can be assigned to cakes made using wheat flour. On the other hand, the flourless variant, a favorite during Passover, goes by "bocca di dama", loosely translating to "lady's mouth". There's another lip-smacking dessert that originated in Puglia, also known as "bocche di dama" - plump cookies chock full of lemon custard and coated in a white glaze.

Keep in mind that almond flour or almond meal - which is essentially finely ground almonds - cannot be confused with "flour" as you would think. There are no grains involved in its make-up. It is densely packed yet free of gluten, containing higher fat content than all-purpose wheat flour. You can't swap it out for commonly used flours at equal measures. Thus, when you feel inspired to bake with almond flour, seek out recipes specifically crafted for it. Often, these recipes use eggs as a primary ingredient to give volume and lightness.

For the Jaslove insight, you will be creating your own version of almond flour. This involves pulsing together whole blanched almonds, added sweetness in the form of a bit of sugar and matzo meal. Beaten egg whites, stiff as a salute, are then folded into the thick cake batter. Take time to source blanched, raw almonds without a touch of salt and sans their papery skins. Frosted with sugar, the cake can be stored in room temperature for two days, safely ensconced in plastic wrap.

The recipe calls for a list of ingredients that includes matzo meal, whole blanched almonds, granulated sugar, large eggs, light brown sugar, both almond and vanilla extract, grated lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. The cake is beautifully dusted with confectioners’ sugar before it's ready to serve. After preheating the oven and preparing a 10-inch springform pan, the almond cake mixture is set to bake for around 45 minutes. The final touch is a liberal dusting of confectioners’ sugar gracing the golden crest of the cake.