Ingredients

For the sponges

180g All purpose flour

90g Almond flour

2 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Sea salt

190g Butter at room temperature

300g Caster sugar

4 Medium eggs

1 tsp Vanilla essence

Some drops of Almond essence

Some drops of red food coloring 

170g Milk at room temperature

50g Almond flavour liqueur

For the Syrup

100g Water

100g Caster sugar

50g Almond flavoured liqueur

For the Frosting

5 Egg whites

300g plain sugar

370g butter in room temperature

a few drops of almond essence 

To decorate

100g Dark dessert chocolate

1 tbsp Olive oil

Edible Flowers

Method

For the Sponges

It is important that all ingredients are at room temperature. That way the mixture will not “split”.

The mixture is enough for two cake baking trays 18-19cms in diameter.

Pre-heat the oven to 170c fan forced.

If you have a steam feature on your oven turn it on - if not put an oven proof bowl of water in the bottom of the oven during baking. The extra moisture will help the the sponges to become fluffy and light.

In a bowl mix the two types of flour with the baking powder and the salt.

In the mixer bowl put the butter and the sugar and mix them together until they are white and put the eggs in one by one making sure that each is mixed in well before adding the next one.

At the end add the essences and food coloring.

In a little bowl mix the milk and liqueur together.

Put the mixture with flours and the milk mixture together in the mixer alternately in stages. 3 parts flour to two parts milk. We start and finish with the flour mixture. Mix well after every part.

Butter and flour the cake baking trays and placed a circle of greaseproof paper in the base.

Place the cake mixture in the two trays evenly and bake for 20 mins or until a toothpick can be poked in and come out clean from the sponge.

Don’t overcook the sponges or they will not be moist afterwards.

Once cooked take them out of the oven and place on racks to cool completely.

In the meantime prepare the syrup putting all the ingredients in a saucepan and bringing to the boil. Once the sugar has melted completely remove from the heat.

If you want the dessert to be a little “stronger” in flavour boil the water and the sugar first and add the liqueur after taking it off the heat.

For the Frosting 

 Boil some water in a saucepan.

Put the sugar and the egg whites in a metal bowl big enough to sit over the saucepan and whisk well. When the water starts simmering in the saucepan place the metal bowl above it and whisk up the mixture well. With a thermometer test the mixture and when it reaches 70c take the metal bowl carefully off the saucepan and throw the mixture into the mixer.

Start mixing the mixture until it becomes like a meringue- wait until it cools right down before putting in the butter in little cubes slowly.

The meringue will collapse a little but continue to mix and it will fluff up again.Place the finished creme in a piping bag or pastry bag and put aside ready to use later.

For the Chocolate

Melt the chocolate with the olive oil in the microwave.

With a spoon create shapes that look like branches on a piece of greaseproof paper. Put the flowers on the chocolate shapes and leave to cool and stick. Put in a cold place to cool right down and harden. Any chocolate left over can be used to put between the sponges.

For the Cake

Put the syrup over the top of the two sponge cakes.

Put about a third of the butter cream frosting on one of the sponges.

Put the other sponge on top and then coat the outside with a thin layer of buttercream.

Leave it for 20mins in the fridge to cool down well.

Decorate the cake with the rest of the buttercream using your imagination and a piping bag.

Place the chocolate “branches” around the cake with the attached flowers.

If you store the finished cake in the fridge you need to take it out for at least an hour before serving.