From Italy on my mind
Ingredients:
- 200g almond meal
- 75g coconut
- 180-200g caster sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 200g unsalted butter, melted then cooled
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla essence
- 1 tsp Amaretto di Saronno liqueur (or 1/4 tsp almond essence or 1 tsp port etc)
- optional: zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp slivered almonds
- Sifted icing sugar, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180C and line the base and sides of a 23cm diameter cake tin with a removable base.
Place the almond meal, coconut, salt and sugar in a large bowl and give it a good whisk and set aside. In a separate bowl, place the eggs, vanilla, liqueur (or almond essence) and optional lemon zest, beating it using a whisk for a minute until well combined. Stir in the melted butter.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until they are well combined. Pour into the prepared cake tin. Scatter on the slivered almonds and bake for 40 minutes or until golden on top and the cake springs back slightly when you push it with your finger.
Place on a wire cooling rack and remove from the tin when completely cold. Dust icing sugar over the top if you like prior to cutting into slices to serve.