My mum always told me to never tell a book by it’s cover and that advice also holds true for this cake. I am going to ‘fess up, this cake does not look like much, but it tastes totally ah-mazing. It’s one of those old family recipes and believe me when I say, it never gets old.
Although this cake is baked in two parts, it’s easy as. The sponge contains no butter, just buttermilk which makes it super light and fluffy. The caramelised topping really is the tops and the ugly crunchy bits on the edges are actually the best bits, no one can resist them!
Do you know someone who gives good advice? What can’t you resist?
Ingredients
1 cup (250ml) buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups (210g) plain flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
200g sugar
TOPPING
4 tablespoons butter
120g sugar
40g flaked almonds
2 tablespoons double or thickened cream
2 tablespoons plain flour
How to – Traditional
- Preheat oven to 180 C/160 C fan-forced. Grease a 20cm x 30cm lamington tin and line with baking paper.
- Whisk buttermilk lightly in a large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add almond extract. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and stir with the sugar into the buttermilk mixture.
- Pour mixture into tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool.
- For the topping, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the butter has melted. Spoon topping mixture over the cake and return to the oven for a further 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the tin before cutting into slices.
How to – Thermomix
- Preheat oven to 180 C/160 C fan-forced. Grease a 20cm x 30cm lamington tin and line with baking paper.
- Insert butterfly in to TM bowl. Weigh in buttermilk and whisk for 10 seconds on speed 4. Remove the butterfly.
- With the blades running on speed 3, beat in the eggs one at a time, this should take about 30 seconds.
- Add almond extract and mix for 5 seconds on speed 4.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and mix for 10 seconds on speed 4.
- Pour mixture into tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool.
- For the topping, place all ingredients in TM bowl and mix for 3 minutes on 60C reverse speed or until the butter has melted. Spoon topping mixture over the cake and return to the oven for a further 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the tin before cutting into slices.
