TIERED ORANGE BLOSSOM AND LIME CAKE

Recipe

I love the subtle hint of orange blossom in this lovely cake. Instead of making it a tiered cake, you could use two tins (22cm) and you can easily make it gluten-free by replacing the spelt flour with buckwheat flour.

SERVES 18

FOR THE CAKE

300g butter, softened

300g caster sugar

6 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

300g ground almonds

75g plain flour or spelt flour

zest and juice of 2 large, unwaxed limes

1 tbsp orange blossom water

FOR THE ICING

150g butter, softened

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 cups icing sugar

125g cream cheese

TOP WITH

roughly chopped pistachios

store bought lemon or lime curd

dried or fresh rose petals

  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC fan bake. Line 1 x 10" (25cm) and 1 x 6" (15cm) tin with baking paper.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, along with the vanilla.
  4. Gradually fold in the ground almonds and flour, then add the lime zest and juice and the orange blossom water.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 cake tins.
  6. Bake for approximately 35 minutes. The cakes are ready when golden in colour, springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
  7. Allow the cakes to cool for around 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
  8. Meanwhile, make the icing. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and vanilla until smooth and then gradually add the icing sugar. Add the cream cheese little by little and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
  9. Once the cakes are completely cool, spread a layer of icing onto the large layer and place the small layer directly on top. Apply a neat coating of icing to the top of the cake, and decorate with curd, pistachios and rose petals.
  10. Store in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to 3 days.