Desserts Recipes - Macadamia Nut Cake with Rum-flavored Butter Cream Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 8-10   

• 50g/2oz butter (softened, plus extra for greasing)

• 100g/4oz unsalted macadamia nuts (finely chopped)

• 75g/3oz plain flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 4 egg whites

• Pinch of salt

• 100g/4oz sugar

For the butter cream:

• 75g/3oz butter

• 100g/4oz icing sugar

• 4 tablespoons dark rum

• 75g/3oz unsalted macadamia nuts (crushed in a blender or

• food processor)

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5. Butter a deep 20cm/8in round cake tin generously and line the base with baking parchment.

2. Beat the butter into the chopped nuts until the mixture is very creamy. Sift the flour with the baking powder, then add the flour to the nut mixture.

3. Beat the egg whites with the salt until they form soft peaks. Sprinkle on the sugar and continue beating until the meringue holds fairly stiff peaks.

4. Stir one quarter of the meringue into the nut mixture to lighten it, then delicately fold in the rest. Turn the batter into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cake has risen nicely.

5. Remove the tin to a wire cooling rack. After 10 minutes, run a knife around the inside edges, un-mould the cake and remove the baking parchment.

6. To make the butter cream, beat the butter, sugar and 2 tablespoons rum into the nuts. When the cake has cooled completely, slice it in half horizontally.

7. Sprinkle the cut sides with the remaining rum, then spread one half with one third of the butter cream.

8. Sandwich the other layer on top and spread the top and sides of the cake with the remaining butter cream.