Photography: John Paul Urizar. Styling: Michele Cranston.
Nutty, buttery, fragrant with vanilla bean and topped with juicy blackberries, this almond cake is a perfect one to take to an afternoon tea. Also known as a French financier, it’s super sturdy so makes a great travelling cake. It’s also one of easiest cakes to make requiring only a bowl and a whisk. This almond cake keeps beautifully moist so can be made a day or two in advance.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat the oven to moderately slow (160°C/140°C fan-forced). Grease a 20cm x 30cm slice pan; line base and sides with baking paper.
Place egg whites in a large bowl; whisk lightly until frothy. Add the butter, vanilla, milk, almond meal, sifted icing sugar and sifted flour to bowl; whisk until smooth and well combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Arrange three-quarters of the blackberries on top, pressing down lightly. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave cake in pan for 30 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve with remaining blackberries.
This cake is suitable to freeze.
Test Kitchen tip
A guide to buying blackberries
Shop seasonally
Fruit will be fresher, tastier and more affordable.
Check for colour and shine
Look for berries that have a vibrant, uniform colour and a natural shine. Dull or discoloured berries might be overripe or nearing spoilage.
Inspect for mould
Avoid containers with any signs of mould, moisture or visible damage. The mould on one berry can quickly spread to the others.
Sniff test
Give the berries a gentle sniff. They should have a sweet, fresh aroma. If they smell sour or off, they may be overripe.
