Preheat oven to 325° while preparing recipe. Make sure rack is in middle of oven.

Generously butter and flour a 9" cake pan or a 9" spring form pan. Set aside. (Not on top of oven.)

It is absolutely necessary that the butter and eggs are at room temperature. Don't heat butter to soften.

Break up almond paste by placing it into a food processor, or using an electric mini chopster. Process until it is grainy like the texture of small course grains. Set aside.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy for 3 minutes.

Add orange liquor, orange zest (HINT: sprinkle the zest across, do not add in one lump) and almond paste. Beat until perfectly blended for 3 minutes.

One by one add in eggs incorporating each separately until each egg is completely blended. Then beat for 3 minutes until mixture is very smooth and fluffy. HINT: break eggs into small glass bowl to make sure there are no egg shell fragments.

Sprinkle on flour and baking powder mix by hand until blended then beat for 1 minute.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and place in middle of rack.

Bake for 55 minutes exactly. No more, no less.

Here's the hard part! DO NOT OPEN OVEN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! RESIST ALL TEMPTATION TO CHECK ON CAKE. If you have a window, check that way. Towards the end of cook time you may think it's burning but it's not.

Remove from oven to wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Cake will have already slightly pulled away from sides and center could deflate a bit.

After 15 minutes if using a spring form, remove outer ring. If using a cake pan, turn cake upside down onto a plate then invert back onto the wire rack.

Allow the cake to cool completely. You can refrigerate the cake over night. DO NOT wrap in saran/plastic wrap. Lightly wrap in wax paper. Allow cake to come to room temperature before dusting with powdered sugar.

Before dusting with powdered sugar consider using, or making, a stencil to create a beautiful design. It will make them think you got the cake from a bakery.