Almond and yoghurt cake

Blood Orange Curd Ingredients

• 2 blood oranges, zest and juice
• 1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar
• 9 tablespoons (125g) butter, cut into cubes
• 3 eggs, beaten

Almond and Yogurt Cake Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (150g) Greek-style yogurt
• 1/2 cup (125ml) sunflower oil
• 1 cup (200g) sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup (150g) self-raising flour (to make your own, 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder plus 1/2 teaspoon salt per cup of flour)
• 3/4 cup (100g) almonds, ground
• 1/2 cup (125ml) double cream or heavy whipping cream
• powdered sugar, to dust

For the blood orange curd:

1. Place the orange zest and juice, sugar and butter into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water.) Stir the mixture until the butter has melted. Slowly whisk the eggs into the mixture until well combined. Continue to cook, stirring constantly but slowly, until the curd has thickened and looks like custard (don’t let it boil, otherwise the mixture will curdle). This should take about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes; the mixture should thicken slightly.

2. Strain the curd through a sieve into sterilized jars, and leave to cool completely, then store in the fridge. After a couple of hours, the curd should look like thick custard. You can keep it in the fridge for a few weeks.

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Grease and line two 8-inch (20cm) cake pans.

2. Whisk the yogurt, oil and sugar together until smooth; whisk in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the flour and ground almonds. Divide the mixture between the two cake pans and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake rises and the top is springy to the touch.

3. Remove the cakes from the oven and set aside to cool in their pans for five minutes. Then run a palette around the edge of the tin and turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to completely cool.

4. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed.

To assemble the cake:

1. Place one of the cakes onto a serving plate or cake stand and spread with the double cream, then carefully spread with the orange curd. Top with the other cake, upside down so that you have a nice, flat top.

2. Dust with powdered sugar.