Strawberries and cream loa f cake

SERVES 8 READY IN 50

MINS, PLUS COOLING

FOR THE ALMOND CAKE

● 175G UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED ● 175G GOLDEN CASTER SUGAR ● 3 EGGS ● 75G GROUND ALMONDS ● 100G SELF-RAISING FLOUR ● ½TSP BAKING POWDER

● 16G FREEZE-DRIED STRAWBERRY PIECES ● 1TSP ALMOND EXTRACT

FOR THE TOPPING ● 180G CREAM CHEESE ● 1TSP VANILLA BEAN PASTE ● 40G ICING SUGAR, PLUS EXTRA TO DUST ● 200G STRAWBERRIES, HALVED YOU WILL NEED

● 20X10CM LOAF TIN, LINED WITH BAKING PARCHMENT

1 Heat the oven to 180C/

Gas 4. For the cake, cream the butter and sugar together until pale. Mix in the eggs and ground almonds.

2 Fold in the flour and baking powder, then the freeze-dried strawberries and almond extract.

3 Spoon into the tin and bake for 40 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack.

4 Once the cake is cool, make the topping. Beat together the cream cheese, vanilla paste and icing sugar. Spread on top of the cooled cake and refrigerate for 1 hr.

5 To serve, arrange the strawberries on top and dust with icing sugar.