Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 170°C / 150°C fan / Gas 3. Grease and line a deep 20cm springform tin.
- Beat butter and sugar 4–5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time — add a tbsp ground almonds if it threatens to curdle. Add almond extract, vanilla, and lemon zest.
- Add ground almonds, flour, baking powder, and milk — fold gently until just combined.
- Spoon into tin — spread evenly. Scatter flaked almonds generously. Sprinkle demerara.
- Bake 45–55 minutes until golden, almonds toasted, and skewer comes out clean. Cover loosely after 35 minutes if browning too quickly. Cool in tin 20 minutes.
- Brush warm apricot glaze over the top completely. Cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Almond extract is the defining ingredient — gives the vivid, specific almond character.
Lemon zest gives the brightness that stops the cake tasting flat — does not make it taste of lemon.
Bake at a lower temperature — high almond content makes it prone to over-browning.
Apricot glaze is worth the two minutes — gives a professional, glossy, bakery-quality finish.
Replace plain flour with gluten free flour for a naturally gluten free cake — virtually identical result.
Exceptional keeping quality — as good on day three as day one. Stores up to 5 days.
