Clementine Layer Cake

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 180c/350f and grease and line 2 sandwich tins.
2. Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat with electric  beaters until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, continue to beat, and then add the almonds and self raising flour. Grate in the clementine zest (and set the clementines aside to make a clementine syrup from the juice). If the mixture looks a little thick add a splash of milk. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and bake for around 45-50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
3. Meanwhile, take the clementines and juice them. Add the juice to small pan with water and sugar and heat gently to dissolve the sugar and then turn up the heat and simmer until you have a syrupy consistency, a few minutes. Set aside.
4. To prepare the filling add the custard powder to a large bowl and whisk in the eggs. Heat the milk in a saucepan until near boiling and then pour a little on the custard powder. Whisk well and then pour everything back into the saucepan. Whilst whisking throughout heat the custard until it really thickens. If any lumps form simply keep whisking and they disappear. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Add the clementine zest, juice, lemon curd and mix well. Finally, while the cream and whisk it into the custard. Chill the filling until ready to use.
5. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely on wire racks. When ready, slice them half so you have 4 layers. Spread each layer with the filling, ending with a pile on top. Add the slices of fresh clementines and a scattering of fresh almonds.  I added a few clementine leaves for extra colour.