Tunis Cake

This is a really lovely family cake, even if you don't like marzipan. I would still make the little decorations to pop onto the cake as this makes it feel really festive and you can get the little ones involved making them.

Tunis cake batter

250g butter

350g caster sugar

250g SR flour

100 g ground almonds

30 ml double cream

4 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp peel paste* 

Topping 

150g milk chocolate 

150g dark chocolate 

100ml double cream

Marzipan for making the decoration. 

25cm springform, greased and lined

Bake @ 160 for about 60-70 mins Check after 45 mins as it may need covering with foil

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, continue to whisk adding the eggs a tsp at a time until they are well incorporated. Now add the remaining cake batter ingredients, whisk until combined.

Spoon the batter into a prepared cake tin and spread level using a palette knife. Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 60-70 minutes or until golden, well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. 

Remove from the oven and leave the cake in the tin  to cool on a wire cooling rack with parchment still wrapped around the cake.

Heat the cream until just boiling, leave to cool for a couple of minutes then add the chopped chocolate. Stir until glossy and smooth then pour into the parchment wrapped cake, pop into the fridge and leave to set. Remove the cake  from the tin, and place onto a serving plate.
Shape your marzipan, unwrap your cake and place the marzipan decoration onto the top to decorate.

* Add 2 tbsp of boiling water to a tub of mixed peel, then blitz with a handheld blender.