A delicious nectarine and almond cake. Perfect with afternoon tea.

INGREDIENTS

  • 180g butter
  • 180g caster sugar
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 1 teaspoon almond essence
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 120g cake flour (see cook’s note)
  • 120g self-raising flour
  • 80ml water
  • 8 nectarines, halved and thinly sliced

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas Mark 4.
  2. Cream the butter and the sugar, add the ground almonds and almond essence, beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs beating well in between each addition.
  3. Sift the flours together with the salt and fold into the butter mixture alternating with the water until well blended.
  4. Pour half of the cake mixture into a Le Creuset Square Cake tin and arrange half of the sliced nectarines on top. Cover with the remaining cake mixture and again layer the remaining nectarines on top.
  5. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out cleanly (bearing in mind that this is a moist cake and should be juicy because of the nectarines).
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the tin before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  7. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Cook’s note

Cake flour is a specialist flour, ground finely for baking.  Alternatively, plain flour can be used in its place