Cake:
- 300g/10.6oz butter, softened
- 300g/10.6oz golden, unrefined caster sugar
- 6 organic eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 300g/10.6oz ground almonds
- 75g/2.6oz spelt flour
- zest and juice of 1 large, unwaxed lemon
- zest and juice of 1 large, unwaxed lime
- 1 Tbsp orange blossom water
Icing:
- 300g/10.6oz cream cheese
- 4 Tbsp honey
- zest and juice of ½ lemon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Top with:
- pistachios, roughly chopped
- lemon or lime curd
- freeze-dried lime chips
Serves 18
- I love the subtle hint of orange blossom in this lovely cake. if you want a double-layer cake instead of a small triple-layer cake, simply use two 22cm tins and bake for 35 minutes instead of 30. You can easily make it gluten-free by replacing the spelt flour with buckwheat flour.
- Preheat oven to 180°C fan bake. Line three 15cm tins with baking paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, along with the vanilla.
- Gradually fold in the ground almonds and flour, then the lemon and lime zest and juice and orange blossom water.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 3 cake tins.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes. The cakes are ready when golden in colour, springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool for around 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, make the icing. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and continue to add the rest of the ingredients until a smooth, glossy consistency is reached.
- Once the cakes are completely cool, spread a layer of icing onto one layer and place another layer directly on top. Repeat this process with the final layer. Apply a neat coating of icing to the top of the cake, and top with some chopped pistachios, lemon or lime curd piped with a piping bag, and freeze-dried lime chips.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.
