Twelve Days ago we celebrated Lily's 12th birthday and this is the cake I made her. Each year I try to make a cake different from the last - she remembers them all! Her birthday celebrations seemed to go on forever with various mini-celebrations with family and friends.

On her actual birthday and 'cake day' she had a couple of friends over for a sleepover, one of who has celiac disease. I therefore baked this gluten-free cake, which was absolutely delicious. It was the first time that I tried the recipe, but I will certainly be making it again. The sponge is lovely and moist and would be perfect on its own without the frosting. For this cake, I made two of the sponges and one-and-a-half quantities of the frosting, which I also used to sandwich the two sponges together.

Gluten-free Almond Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting + Salted Caramel

For the Almond cake:

175 g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
1/4 tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla sugar
4 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites
1 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice
110 g granulated sugar, divided into two 55 g portions

For the Chocolate Fudge Frosting: 

125 g softened butter
50 g icing sugar (make sure it’s a gluten free variety)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
50 g dark chocolate (70%), melted and cooled
A jar of salted caramel sauce

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 7 or 8-inch springform pan and put a round piece of baking paper on the bottom of the pan.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the yolks together with 55g of sugar. In another bowl, mix the ground almonds, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Add the almond mixture to the yolks and stir to combine.

In a large, clean and dry (preferably stainless steel) bowl, whip the egg whites until bubbles appear. Add the vinegar or lemon juice, and sprinkle in the remaining 55g of sugar. Beat until soft peaks form. With a spatula, carefully fold in spoonfuls of egg white mixture into the almond mixture. Fold until combined.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-38 minutes. Let cool in the pan, then run a knife around the edges and release the springform pan sides. Transfer cake to a serving platter or cake stand.

When the cake is completely cool you can get on with the frosting. Beat the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the cocoa powder and beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth. Spread a layer of frosting over the cake and then drizzle some salted caramel on top.

Cake recipe adapted from Call Me Cupcake