A distinctive ring shaped cake made with almonds and spices
Feeds 16 • Ready in 1 hour 20 mins, plus cooling
INGREDIENTS
- 225g Co-op unsalted butter, plus an extra 30g for greasing
- 250g plain flour, plus an extra 2 tbsp for dusting
- 150g Fairtrade caster sugar
- 250g Co-op Fairtrade light brown soft sugar
- 5 Co-op British free range eggs
- 75g ground almonds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Zest of 1 orange, plus 1 tbsp juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 120ml Co-op semi-skimmed milk, plus an extra 1 tbsp
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 165g marzipan, rolled into 11 balls
- 110g Fairtrade icing sugar
METHOD
- Melt the 30g butter and brush inside a bundt tin (ours was 25cm across), making sure you get the butter into all the crevices. Sprinkle the 2 tbsp flour in the tin and shake it to coat the butter with a layer of flour. Tap out any excess.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/Gas 4. In a large bowl or freestanding mixer, beat the butter with both sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well between each addition.
- Combine the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarb, cinnamon and zests, then carefully fold through the batter, along with the 120ml milk and almond extract.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin then bake for 50-60 mins, or until well risen and golden, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven.
- Twist a tea towel into a ring shape and put it in the kitchen sink with the plug in. Drench the towel in hot water and sit the tin in the middle of it, then leave for 10 mins — this will help the cake to come out of the tin more easily. Invert onto a wire rack and remove the tin. Leave to cool completely. If the sponge doesn’t come away from the sides easily, return it to sit in the hot water for another 10 mins.
- To decorate the cake, start by arranging the marzipan balls around the top. Put the icing sugar in a bowl with the 1 tbsp milk and the 1 tbsp orange juice, then stir well until you have a thick but runny icing. Drizzle over the cake and the marzipan, allowing icing to drizzle down the sides. Leave the icing to set before serving in slices.
