Almond Gateau Recipe

Almond Gateau Recipe

Almond Gateau Recipe

Ingredients: (Serves 12)

• 85 g/3 oz ground almonds
• 115 g/4 oz caster sugar
• 8 eggs
• 60 g/2½ oz self-raising flour
• 55 g/2 oz granulated sugar
• 60 ml/2 fl oz water
• 235 ml/8 fl oz single cream
• 255 g/9 oz unsalted butter
• 55 g/2 oz icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
• 60 g/2½ oz plain chocolate, melted
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 225 g/8 oz white almond paste
• Icing sugar to dust
• Fresh mint leaves, to decorate

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas mark 5. Grease and line an 18-cm/7-inch square cake tin. Stir together the almonds and 55 g/2 oz caster sugar. Beat in 4 eggs, one at a time. Sift in the flour and fold gently. Separate the remaining 4 eggs. Put the egg whites in a bowl and beat with an electric whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1 tablespoon caster sugar. Lightly fold the egg whites into the cake batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes, or until firm.

Remove from the oven and invert on a wire rack to cool. Put the granulated sugar in a saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Beat the remaining 55 g/2 oz caster sugar and 4 egg yolks in a bowl until pale and smooth. Bring the cream to the boil in a small saucepan, then add to the egg mixture. Beat to combine. Return the mixture to a clean saucepan and cook over a low heat for 2 minutes until it begins to thicken. Pour through a strainer and set aside to cool completely. Beat the butter in a bowl until softened. Gradually add the cooled mixture and icing sugar and beat well to combine.

Divide the buttercream into 2. Dissolve the coffee in 1 tablespoon boiling water and beat into one half of the buttercream. Beat the melted chocolate into the other half. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Slice the cake into 3 layers. Drizzle each layer with a little syrup, then sandwich together using the chocolate buttercream.

Using a palette knife, spread the coffee buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. Chill for 3 minutes in the refrigerator before dusting the cake with 1 tablespoon cocoa. Knead the remaining cocoa into the almond paste. Roll out thinly on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar.

Cut into long strips, 4-cm/1½ -inch wide and arrange in ruffles on top of the cake. Dust lightly with icing sugar and decorate with mint leaves to serve. The syrups and buttercreams can be made up to 2 days in advance. To soften the buttercream for use, leave at room temperature for 30 minutes before beating well. Almond paste dries out quickly so work fast when kneading the cocoa into it.