Almond sponges with orange icing recipe

Ground almonds are a great way to create a moist sponge. This recipe uses added almond flavouring to give them a wonderfully fragrant taste and smell. Made in mini loaf tins, they are the perfect individual tea time treat and they can even be made into a pudding with the addition of warm custard. Yummy!

Ingredients

• 4 medium eggs
• 100g ground almonds
• 100g self-raising flour
• 250g caster sugar
• 250g butter, softened
• 2tsps almond flavouring
• 1 flat tsp baking powder
• A few drops of orange oil or flavouring
• 250g icing sugar mixed with a few drops of water to make a runny icing
• 50g flaked almonds

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4
2. Cream together the butter, sugar and almond flavouring. Once smooth and light, beat in the eggs followed by the ground almonds, flour and baking powder. Your sponge mixture should have a good dropping consistency, falling from a wooden spoon when held up. If it is too thick and clings to the spoon, try adding a little more egg.
3. Grease 6 miniature loaf tins or one deep 9” cake tin and pour in the mix. Place in the centre of your preheated oven for around 30 minutes. The cake should be lightly golden around the edges and should spring back slightly when pushed gently with your finger.
   
4. Allow the cakes to cool on a wire rack.
5. Add the orange flavouring to the icing sugar and water mixture and drizzle generously over the sponges. Sprinkle with flaked almonds and leave to set.