Almond Paste

This almond paste can be used in and on top of a Simnel Cake, or it can be used under butter icing or royal icing on any fruit cake.

Ingredients

• 100 g ground almonds
• ½ cup castor sugar
• 1 cup icing sugar
• ½ teaspoon almond essence
• 1 egg, beaten lightly

Method

Mix the first four ingredients in a bowl or food processor, adding the beaten egg gradually, until the icing forms an easy-to-work-with ball, then roll out or shape as required.

NOTES For thick almond layers, or for a bigger cake double the ingredients above.*Mock almond filling cannot be left exposed on the top of a cake or browned under a grill. It is meant for baking as a middle layer, only.*For a bigger cake use double the ingredients in a 23cm cake tin.