Ingredients
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 75g castor sugar
- 75g plain soft flour, sieved
- 55g melted, unsalted butter
- 2 pints double cream, lightly whipped
- 8 tbsp cherry jam
- 200g nibbed almonds lightly browned
- 20 fresh cherries
- For the Brandy Snaps
- 125g soft unsalted butter
- 225g castor sugar
- 115g soft plain flour
- 115g Golden syrup
Method
- Pre heat the oven to 200° C, Gas 6.
- Brush the inside of the tin with melted butter and dust with a little flour, tip out the excess.
- Whip the eggs and castor sugar on a medium speed until very thick and glossy.
- The mixture will hold its own weight when the whisk is lifted out of the mixture.
- Fold in the sieved flour carefully, then finally the butter.
- Pour into the prepared tin, place in the oven and cook for 15-18 minutes or until well risen and golden.
- Remove from the oven and cool, then remove from the tin.
- Make 10 brandy snaps see recipe below, then reserve.
- Slice the sponge into 3 even slices.
- Spread two evenly with jam and top with thick cream.
- Place one on the top of the other then add the last layer, press down lightly.
- Coat the outside of the cake with whipped cream and coat in the nibbed almonds.
- Pipe a large rosette of cream in the centre of the cake.
- Then fill each brandy snap and place in a ‘wheel’ design on top of the cake, the points touching in the centre.
- Place a fresh cherry in the end of each brandy snap, then a few extra cherries in the centre of the cake.
- Dust well with icing sugar and serve.
For the Brandy Snaps
- Slightly cream together the sugar and butter.
- Add the flour, syrup and mix to a firm paste.
- Roll into a long sausage the thickness of 10p piece, then wrap to tightly in cling film, making sure bo to wrap the cling film inside the roll.
- Chill well overnight is best.
- Pre heat the oven to 180°C, Gas 4.
- Lightly grease a baking tray.
- Remove the cling film from the sausage and cut 12 cm slices, lay out on the baking tray leaving at least double the distance from the next slice.
- Bake in the pre heated oven until well spread and golden, about 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly, then wrap around the moulds and leave to cool in a cone shape.
- Slide of and store in an airtight container.