Coconut Lemon and Almond Cake with Cardamom Syrup and Mascarpone Cream

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1½ cups (135g) almond meal
¾ cup (175g) caster sugar
¾ cup (70g) desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon baking powder
150g butter, melted and cooled
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest (approx. 2 lemons)
Pinch salt 

Syrup
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
¼ (65ml) lemon juice (approx. 2 lemons)
3 cardamom pods, crushed
2 cloves 
1 cinnamon quill 

Mascarpone cream 
250g mascarpone cheese
250g cream
1 cup (150g) icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla

To decorate 
3 figs, quartered
Turkish delight, cut into cubes
Pistachios, chopped
Eatable dried rose petals 

Method:

Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan). Grease and line a Ceramabake 20cm x 4cm Non-Stick Ceramic Round Cake Pan. Set aside. 

Place the almond meal, sugar, coconut and baking powder in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the center and add the butter, eggs, vanilla, zest and salt. Stir until well combined. 

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Pierce the cake all over with a skewer and set aside.

To make the syrup, place all the ingredients plus ¼ cup (65ml) water in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 5 minutes or until reduced slightly. Strain and pour the hot syrup over the cake. Allow to cool completely before turning out onto a cake plate.

To make the mascarpone cream, place all the ingredients in mixing bowl and beat with electric beaters until thick and creamy.

To assemble, spread the cake with the mascarpone cream and decorate with the figs, Turkish delight, pistachios and rose petals.