Rich, velvety nuts are offset by zippy, seasonal berries in a cake for all occasions
Most cakes I can take or leave, but I never regret a slice of almond cake. The density! The chewy crumb! The way it romances butter and other flavours! The ultimate almond cake, in the Sodha house, at least, is Claudia Roden’s orange and almond cake, which is made religiously for special occasions (of which there are many from December to March), but I wanted a more seasonal cake for a good friend’s August birthday. Blackberries are perfect (not least because we’re drowning in them right now), because they provide an excellent, zippy contrast to the almond’s velvety nature.
