LEMON BUTTER ALMOND ALICE

Lemon Butter Almond Slice

Preparation Time 30 minutes plus refrigeration time
Cooking time 50 minutes plus cooling time

250g butter, softened, chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cps (275g) caster sugar
2/3 cup (80g) almond meal
2 cups (300g) plain flour
1/2 cup (40g) flaked almonds
Icing sugar for dusting

LEMON BUTTER
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2/3 cup (160ml) caster sugar
11/3 cups (300g) caster sugar
250g unsalted butter, chopped
4 eggs, beaten lightly, strained

METHOD

1 LEMON BUTTER Combine rind, juice, sugar, butter and eggs in a medium heavy-based saucepan. Stir over a very low heat for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Cover, refrigerate for several hours or until thick and cold.

2 Preheat the oven to 180c fan-forced. Grease a 26cm x 32cm Swiss roll pan, line the base and two opposite sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above the edges of the pan.

3 Beat butter, vanilla and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, transfer to a large bowl. Add almond meal and sift flour, mix well using hands.

4 Press two-thirds of the pastry evenly over the base of prepared pan. Wrap the remaining pastry in plastic and refrigerate. Bake base, uncovered, for about 12 minutes or until browned lightly; cool for 10 minutes.

5 Spread base with Lemon Butter. Crumble reserved pastry over Lemon Butter and sprinkle with flaked almonds.

6 Bake slice for about 25 minutes or until browned; cool in pan. Refrigerate until cold. Remove from pan, dust with sifted icing sugar and cut into pieces.

SPONGE CAKE WITH CUSTARD AND STRAWBERRIES

SPONGE
6 eggs
11/4 cups castor sugar
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup cornflour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

FILLING, DECORATION
1/2 cup cornflour
1/2 cup custard powder
1/2 cup sugar
600 ml carton milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
300 ml carton thickened cream
30g (1 oz) butter
2 egg yolks
2 punnets strawberries
2 x 300m1 cartons thickened cream, extra
3 tablespoons of icing sugar
1/2 cup rum


1. For sponge cake, beat eggs until thick and creamy, gradually add sugar, beat until sugar is dissolved. Gently fold in sifted dry ingredients. Pour mixture into greased deep 28cm (11in) round cake tin. Bake in moderate oven 35 to 40 minutes or until cake shrinks slightly from sides of tin. Turn out and cool on wire rack.

2. For filling, place cornflour, custard powder and sugar into pan, stir until combined.
Gradually add milk, mix until smooth and free of lumps. Add vanilla and cream, stir until combined. Stir over low heat until custard boils and thickens. Add butter, simmer uncovered for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat, add beaten egg yolks; mix well. Place custard into bowl, cover with plastic food wrap. Allow to become cold. When cold, beat well.

3. Cut cake into three even layers. Place first layer of cake in tin in which cake was cooked. Brush cake with rum. Spread half the custard evenly over the cake. Wash strawberries; reserve some for decorating top of cake. Hull and slice remaining strawberries. Sprinkle half the sliced strawberries over custard layer. Put second layer of cake on top of strawberries. Brush with rum . Spread remaining custard evenly over cake, sprinkle with remaining strawberries. Top with third layer of cake, brush with remaining rum. Cover with plastic food wrap, refrigerate several hours or overnight.

4. Turn cake onto serving plate. Beat extra cream with icing sugar until soft peaks form, spread cream over top and sides of cake, decorate with extra strawberries.