Almond Sponge

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and position the rack to the center of the oven. Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper, or butter the pan and dust it lightly with flour, tapping out any excess.

With an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and almond paste until the paste is incorporated into the sugar. Add the butter and beat for a few minutes until light and fluffy.

In a separate large bowl, stir eggs with a fork and then add it into the almond mixture as you continue to beat. Add the vanilla extract.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt with a whisk. Stir the dry ingredients into the batter until just incorporated.

Transfer the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake well on a rack before icing.

To make the icing, sift the powdered sugar into a bowl and mix in the water. Mix well, until you have a thick consistency. Use a spatula dipped in hot water to spread the icing evenly over the cake.