Almond cake

• unsalted butter↗200 g

  soft, plus extra for the pan

• golden fine sugar↗200 g
• lemon↗1

  zest

• eggs↗4
• almond extract↗1 tsp

  (optional)

• ground almond↗150 g
• gluten‑free flour with leavening↗50 g
• sliced almonds↗20 g
• powdered sugar↗1 tbsp

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C for convection) or gas 4. Grease a 20‑cm round cake tin with butter and line it with parchment. Using a mixer, beat the soft butter with the sugar for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest, then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add the almond extract. At this stage the batter may look layered — it will come together when you add the flour.

2. 2

   Fold in the ground almond and the gluten‑free flour with leavening, mixing until smooth. Transfer the batter to the prepared tin, sprinkle the sliced almonds on top and bake for 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin, then dust with powdered sugar before serving.