Ingredients
- 250g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and softened
- 250g caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 150g self-raising flour
- A pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 150g ground almonds
- 25g flaked almonds
- 4 tbsp runny honey, or set honey warmed enough to trickle
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C fan, 190°C conventional. Grease and line a cake tin.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter to a cream. Add the sugar and beat thoroughly until very light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour with each egg and beating thoroughly before adding the next.
Combine the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt, then sift into the bowl. Using a large metal spoon, carefully fold it into the mixture. Stir in the ground almonds until evenly mixed.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, spreading it evenly with the back of the spoon. Scatter over the flaked almonds. Stand the tin on a baking sheet, as the cake may leak a little butter during cooking.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
On removing the cake from the oven, use a small, thin skewer to prick holes all over the surface, then trickle the honey over so that it soaks in.
Leave in the tin for half an hour or so before turning out and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
This cake keeps well for at least a week, stored in an airtight tin.
