½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
FOR THE CAKE:
1¼ cups white wheat flour
⅓ cup polenta or cornmeal
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 ounces almond paste
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 pound strawberries, hulled and chopped
Powdered sugar
Instructions
For the strawberry crumble: pulse almonds and strawberries in a food processor until they form a very course powder. Add flour, sugar, and salt and pulse just to blend. Add butter and process until incorporated and the crumble is a sand-like consistency.
Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick spray.
Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Place almond paste in a large bowl and beat, using an electric mixer, until crumbly. Add sugar and butter and cream until blended, a few minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well to incorporate after each addition. Increase speed and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and mix in dry ingredients until just combined.
Scrape batter into pan. Scatter strawberries over top. Sprinkle all of the crumble, in clumps, on top of the strawberries. Bake cake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 75–85 minutes. Check the cake halfway through baking; if the top is getting too browned, cover loosely with foil for the remainder of the cooking time. Let cool in pan before unmolding. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving.