Gold Rush Cake

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 150g Vienna almonds*
• 125g unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups (385g) caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbs thickened cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour
• 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
• Icing sugar, to dust
• Thick cream and billy tea, to serve

Method

1. Whiz the almonds in a food processor until finely ground - you'll have about 1/2 cup once processed.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (not fan-forced). Grease and line the base of a 23cm springform cake pan.
3. Using electric beaters, cream butter and 3/4 cup (165g) of the sugar until pale. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add cream and vanilla. Sift in flour and a pinch of salt, folding alternately with the milk. Fold in almonds. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool slightly before removing from pan, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
4. For gold shards, line a baking tray with foil and brush lightly with vegetable oil. Place the remaining cup (220g) of caster sugar and 1/4 cup (60ml) cold water in a saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and cook, without stirring, until light golden, brushing down sides of pan with a damp pastry brush to prevent crystals forming. Pour onto the tray. Leave for 10 minutes to harden, then break into shards.
5. Dust cake with icing sugar, decorate with gold shards and serve with cream and mugs of billy tea.

Notes

• 
  * Sugared almonds from confectionery and nut shops.