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1
Preheat the oven to 190C, fan oven 170C, Gas Mark 5.
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2
Grease the 2 x 18cm (7 inch) deep sandwich tins or cake tins with a little butter and line the bases with baking paper or greaseproof paper.
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3
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy, then gradually add the eggs, beating well between each addition.
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4
Sieve the flour and baking powder together, then add to the creamed mixture with the ground almonds.
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5
Stir in the milk.
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6
Divide equally between the prepared tins.
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7
Bake for 22-25 minutes.
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8
While the cakes are cooking, make the almond brittle.
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9
First, grease a baking sheet with a little vegetable oil.
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10
Next, combine the sugar and almonds in a heavy saucepan.
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11
Put over a medium-low heat until the sugar turns caramel colour, carefully rotating the pan until the almonds are covered this will only take a few minutes.
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12
Very carefully pour the mixture onto the baking sheet.
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13
Cool.
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14
(TAKE GREAT CARE when making caramel and NEVER touch it it reaches an extremely high temperature.
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15
Keep a watchful eye on the pan as you make it dont just leave it to cook).
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16
Remove the cakes from the oven and cool in the tins for a few minutes, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.
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17
To make the icing, beat the butter until soft, then gradually beat in the icing sugar, using a hand-held electric mixer.
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18
Beat in the vanilla extract.
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19
Chop half the cooled almond brittle finely and stir it into the icing.
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20
To assemble, spilt each cake in half.
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21
Spread with butter icing, then sandwich the two cakes together with more icing.
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22
Spread the rest of the icing around the top and sides of the cake.
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23
Break off some shards of almond brittle and arrange on top of the cake.
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24
Coarsely chop the rest and sprinkle over the top of the cake.
