Raspberry (or Blueberry) & Almond Slice and Pistaschio & Lemon Cake

(adapted from Donna Hay magazine Issue 20 March/April 2005)
Basic Almond Cake
Ingredients
180g butter, softened
1 cup caster sugar
4 eggs
2 ½ cups almond meal, sifted
1 cup plain flour, sifted
1 teas baking powder, sifted

Method
Preheat the oven to 160oC. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 8 – 10 minutes or until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs and beat well. Fold through the almond meal, flour and baking powder. Spoon the mixture into a 20cm round cake tin lined with baking paper and bake for 10 hour 10 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack. Serves 8 – 10.

Variation – Raspberry (or Blueberry) and Almond Slice
Preheat the oven to 160oC. Follow the basic almond cake recipe and spoon the mixture into a 20 x 30 cm cake tin lined with baking paper. Top with 2 ½ cups frozen raspberry or blueberry and dust with ¼ cup icing sugar. Bake for 1 hour or 15 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in the tin. Dust with extra icing sugar and serve with whipped cream. Serves 8 – 10.

Variation – Lemon Syrup Almond Cake or Pistachio & Lemon Cake
Preheat oven to 160oC. Follow the basic almond cake recipe or use pistachio meal instead of almond meal and spoon the mixture into a 20cm round cake tin lined with baking paper. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Place 1 cup sugar, ½ cup lemon juice, ½ cup water and 1/3 cup finely grated lemon rind in a small saucepan over a low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour half the syrup over the cake while still warm in the tin. Remove the cake from the tin, slice and serve with the remaining syrup. Serve 8 – 10.