This cake is all about light almond sponge layers, sandwiched with a lemon-curd infused whipped cream with lashings of lemon curd. The cake is a breeze to make and the whipped cream is infused with my egg-free lemon curd.
Any curd like orange or passionfruit will work here.
Ingredients for Cake
- 350 g butter
- 350 g caster sugar
- 6 eggs
- 300 g self-raising flour
- 60 g ground almonds
- 2 tsp almond essence
Method to make Cake
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
- Grease and line the bases of 3 x 20 cm round pans or 2 x 23 cm pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric beater, beat butter and caster sugar till light and creamy.
- Lightly whisk eggs in a separate bowl and add to creamed mixture, with the almond essence.
- Beat eggs into creamed mixture till smooth and well combined.
- Add flour and ground almonds and lightly beat till mixture is pale, smooth and fluffy.
- Divide mixture into greased pans and bake for 25 – 35 minutes till cakes are well risen, light golden and springy to the touch.
- Cool cakes in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to completely cool.
Lemon-Curd Whipped Cream
An important tip to get a medium to firm peaks when whipping the cream is to keep everything fridge cold. 15 minutes before beating the cream, leave metal mixing bowl as well as beaters in the fridge. When ready to whip cream, measure out cold cream into a cold mixing bowl, and beat on medium to high speed. Alternatively, use a cold metal whisk and hand-beat cream. It is the coldness that helps the cream come together into a voluminous frosting.
Never over-whip cream as it will become grainy and unusable. Work quickly when beating and once the desired consistency is achieved, stop beating.
- 2 1/2 c cold whipping cream
- 1/2 – 3/4 c lemon curd (egg-free lemon curd)
- Optional: 2 -3 TB of lemon curd to drizzle over whipped cream on each cake layer.
- Measure out cold cream into cold mixing bowl and beat till soft peaks form.
- Add 1/2 c of curd and beat into cream. Add more curd depending on the tartness of the curd.
- Beat till cream forms medium-stiff peaks.
- Optional – add a drop of lemon gel colour to create a sunny yellow colour.
- Sandwich cake layers with whipped cream.
- Lightly drizzle some extra curd on each cake layer after smoothing over the whipped cream
- Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting.
- Chill in fridge to gently firm cake and whipped cream.
