Vanilla and Almond Cake Recipe

For the cake:

• 50g flaked almonds
• 1tsp golden caster sugar
• 195g unbleached white spelt flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• ¾tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 50g ground almonds
• 185ml maple syrup
• 125ml coconut milk
• 80ml macadamia nut oil
• 2tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1tsp vanilla paste
• 1tsp natural vanilla extract
• 165g raspberry jam
• 1 quantity of vanilla bean almond cream infused with rose geranium leaves

For the vanilla bean almond cream:

• 375ml freshly-prepared almond milk
• 250ml coconut milk
• 70ml maple syrup
• 1½tsp agar powder
• t1sp vanilla paste
• 1½tbsp cornflour

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Line the base of a 20 cm (8 inch) springform sandwich cake tin with baking paper
2. Make the vanilla bean almond cream by placing 310ml almond milk, the coconut milk and maple syrup in a medium saucepan. Sprinkle the agar over the top and whisk well. Whisk together and bring to a gentle boil. Continue to simmer very gently, stirring frequently for 6 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the remaining almond milk and cornflour to form a paste. When the agar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat. Add the cornflour mix to the pan, shisking rapidly as you do so – it will begin to thicken as soon as you add it. Place back over a low heat, whisking constantly until it comes to the boil. Remove from the heat and whisk the vanilla paste through. Pour in to a bowl and allow to cool slightly. Press a piece of baking paper on the surface and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until set. When set, put what will be a fairly solid mixture into a blender. To this, add 1½tbsp water. Blend for 5 minutes or until silky smooth, scraping down the sides from time to timeMix the flaked almonds and caster sugar together and set aside
3. Sieve the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl, add the almond meal and whisk through
4. Place the maple syrup, coconut milk, oil, vinegar and vanilla paste and extract in another bowl and mix together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Turn into the tin and sprinkle with the flaked almond mixture, taking care to make some end up right on the edges (and even down the side a little) of the batter
5. Bake for 40–50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. This cake is best well cooked, so the maple syrup has a chance to crisp on the skin of the cake where it is exposed to the heat of the oven
6. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin on a wire rack until completely cooled before releasing the springform side (it will still have the tin base in place and be sitting on the wire rack). Place a baking tray lightly on top of the cooled cake and invert the cake and wire rack onto the tray. Quickly remove the wire rack, then the tin base and baking paper from the cake. Lightly place another baking tray on the cake and invert again so the cake is right side up
7. Cut the cake in half horizontally. This cake will not have the same sturdiness as those made with egg, so rather than lifting the top half of the cake off and setting it aside, it is best to slide a flat baking tray, tart tin base or something thin and sturdy between the layers to support the top layer. Using the same technique or two large palette knives, move the base of the cake, cut side up, to a serving platter
8. Spread the jam evenly over the cake base, leaving a 1.5 cm (5/8 inch) border. Gently spread the almond cream over the top, again taking care to leave a small border. Pick up the top of the cake (on its tray) and carefully slide it onto the almond cream
9. This cake is best served straight away or within 2 hours as the filling can soften the cake, making the crumb more fragile. Without the almond cream and jam, the cake will keep in an airtight container for 4–6 days.