Raspberry and Almond Bakewell Cake

Can you believe it's March already??? February really did seem to zoom by, however I am glad to start saying goodbye to what seemed like an endless winter. I enjoyed a leisurely lunch in the garden today, and as I greedily soaked up the sun, it really did feel like spring had finally come. Of course, it started raining about an hour and a half later which somehow took away from the novelty, but some sun is better than none in my books.

And I rather think that the intermittent spells of sunshine adds to the thrill of the season. There's nothing quite as exciting for me as that small period of time just on the cusp of spring when you're filled with the hope of a new beginning. And as the days gradually start becoming longer and ever so slightly warmer, you suddenly notice that barren tree that you've been passing by for the last few months has flourished with a delicate smattering of blossom.

Of course, as a newbie food blogger I'm discovering that there are many practical benefits associated with spring time. In the last few months, preparing and photographing the food for my posts has often been a rushed endeavour what with the 10 minutes of daylight we get. Now as the days are getting longer, I feel as if I'm able to take my time a bit more and not just limit myself to the weekend when I'm not working.

For me spring is associated with freshness and some much needed colour to what had been an otherwise grey landscape, all sentiments that I think are very well epitomized by this cake today. It is elegant and fresh, and decorated with a smattering of raspberries just like the blossom on the trees.

It's also a great bake for novice bakers like me, as it is meant to be a bit dense so it's a bit more forgiving. For the traditionalists, this cake would be great with some afternoon tea however with the slight tartness of the raspberry it also would pair well with some vanilla ice cream or even my personal fave of custard.

If you've seen my thumbprint cookies, you might have already picked up on my love of almond flavoured sweet treats. I also don't like overly sweet desserts so I found the sharpness of the raspberry to be very refreshing.

If you're looking for a cake that is easy to bake and looks pretty without a lot of fuss, this is a great recipe to try out.

Raspberry and Almond Bakewell Cake

Serves 8-10

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 40-50 minutes

Adapted from Good Food by Abida at The Red Lychee

Ingredients:

140g ground almonds

140g unsalted butter

140g sugar

pinch of salt

140g self raising flour

2 eggs lightly beaten 
1tsp vanilla
150g raspberries
Handful of flaked almonds

icing sugar to decorate

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180°C or 356°F. Grease and line a deep and loose tin cake tin. 

2) Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs gradually and mix in with the butter and sugar. Add vanilla and stir. 

3) Sift flour, ground almonds and salt. Gradually add to the wet ingredients and stir in gently. The batter will be quite thick. 

4) Spread half of the batter into the cake tin. Then add in the raspberries on top. Then cover the raspberries with the remaining batter. It is quite thick, so might be easier with a knife or even your fingers. Scatter the top of the cake with flaked almonds. Bake for 40-50 minutes in the oven until the top is golden and a skewer comes out clean when placed in cake. 

5) Leave to cool on cooling rack then remove from tin and baking paper. Decorate the cake with a light dusting of icing sugar and serve.