Name: Capri chocolate almond cake
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: butter and caster sugar (for preparing tin); 250 gram butter, cubed and softened; 250 gram caster sugar; 5 medium free-range eggs, at room temperature; 250 gram ground almonds; 250 gram blanched almonds, finely chopped; 125 gram dark chocolate, chopped; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon; icing sugar, for dusting

Capri chocolate almond cake

Italy’s islands hold great appeal for the culinary adventurer. Most have been invaded numerous times throughout history due to their strategic position or natural resources and with each invasion came new ingredients and cooking methods. Here’s a taste!

Ingredients

butter and caster sugar (for preparing tin)

250 gram butter, cubed and softened

250 gram caster sugar

5 medium free-range eggs, at room temperature

250 gram ground almonds

250 gram blanched almonds, finely chopped

125 gram dark chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1.Brush a 22cm round cake tin with a little melted butter, line base with a disc of baking paper and brush that with butter, too, then dust tin with caster sugar. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2.Put cubed butter in a bowl and beat with an electric beater until creamy and loose. Gradually beat in sugar and continue beating until fluffy and lighter in colour (creamed) – you’ll need to stop the machine and scrape down the bowl several times. Beat eggs together with a fork, then add them gradually to the creamed mixture.

3.Mix in the ground and chopped almonds, chocolate, vanilla and lemon zest. Turn mixture into prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger and is pulling away from the sides of the tin.

4.Cool in tin for 12-15 minutes, then turn out onto a cake rack lined with baking paper. Cool for 30 minutes, removing baking paper disc if attached. Cover with a clean piece of baking paper and a second rack. Flip cake over and remove top rack and paper.

5.When the cake is cool, sift with plenty of icing sugar and cut into slices for serving.

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Ingredients

Method

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