LEMON & ALMOND CAKES

Makes 24

Unsalted butter, for greasing Plain flour, for dusting

100g unsalted butter, at room

temperature, chopped ⅔ cup caster sugar

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest 1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs 1 cup self-raising flour

⅓ cup ground almonds

½ cup buttermilk

1 cup flaked almonds

250g tub mascarpone

½ cup store-bought lemon curd Icing sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease two 12-hole, flat-based, patty pan tins (see tips, below) with butter. Dust holes evenly with flour, then tip out excess. Put butter, sugar, zest and vanilla in the small bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale and creamy.

2. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating between additions, until just combined. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in self-raising flour, ground almonds and buttermilk until combined.

3. Spoon mixture evenly into holes of prepared tins until approximately two-thirds full. Sprinkle almonds on top. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden. Cool in tins for 15 minutes before running a metal palette knife around edges to release, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Combine mascarpone and curd in a small bowl. Carefully cut the domed top off each cake. Place matching tops and bottoms on a tray. Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle with lemon mascarpone and pipe onto cake bottoms. Replace cake tops, place on a serving plate and dust with icing sugar to serve.