Categories: April

Ingredients

• 375g softened, unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
• 375g golden caster sugar
• finely grated zest of 2 oranges
• 375g ground almonds
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice
• 5 large organic eggs
• 200g hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped
• 100g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 8 tbsp Frangelico
• 300g good-quality white chocolate
• 50g unsalted butter
• 250g white marzipan
• icing sugar, for dusting
• mini chocolate eggs, to decorate

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160˚C/fan 140˚C/gas 3. Grease and line a 23cm round cake tin with non-stick baking paper. In a large bowl beat the butter, sugar and orange zest together until light and fluffy. Stir in the ground almonds and mixed spice.

2. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the hazelnuts, flour, baking powder and the liqueur until smooth. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour, then cover with foil and bake for a further 50 minutes or until a metal skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just smooth, but don’t overbeat. Spread all over the top and sides of the cake with a palette knife and leave to set. Roll out the marzipan on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar large enough to cover the whole cake. Roll up on a rolling pin, then unroll over the cake and press lightly into the sides and trim neatly.

4. Decorate with sugar-coated chocolate eggs in pretty colours and a big ribbon.

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