Cinnamon spiced strawberry torte

Strawberries seem to be in the shops all year round these days, but in Spain they are at their best through the spring. They are the first sign, if you like, that summer is just around the corner. Early in the season they tend to have less flavour, so that’s when I like to bake them into a torte like this one, which envelopes them in almond sweetness with a touch of gentle heat from the cinnamon. Serve with a dollop of fresh cream or crème fraîche. If you’re short on time for making the cake, another quick fix for under-ripe berries is to slice them, sprinkle them with icing sugar and cover with cava. Stir and top with a dollop of vanilla ice cream while the fizz is still foaming.

INGREDIENTS

  • 175 g ground almonds
  • 175 g flour
  • 7 g baking powder
  • 175 g softened butter
  • 175 g caster sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
  • 450 g strawberries, sliced
  • Icing sugar for dusting
  • Cream, or crème fraîche, for serving

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC.
  2. Line a 22-centimetre circular cake tin with greaseproof paper and grease the sides with butter.
  3. Whisk the almonds, flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, egg, egg yolk and cinnamon in a food processor, or with an electric whisk, until well combined.
  4. Spoon half of the mixture into the pan, top with the strawberries, then spoon the other half on top.
  5. Shake the pan to ensure even distribution, then bake for 50-60 minutes. If the cake is browning too much, cover with a sheet of tin foil.
  6. To check it’s cooked, insert a toothpick. If it comes out clean—don’t worry about the strawberry juice—it’s ready.
  7. Leave to cool slightly until the edges come away from the sides of the tin, then turn out and place topside up on a cooling rack.
  8. It’s delicious served warm, but just as good eaten in wedges with a cup of tea in the afternoon.

IN SEASON

March: Citrus, strawberries, peas, broad beans, beetroot, tuna and mackerel

Tara Stevens is a food writer and cook who splits her time between Barcelona and her cooking school, the Courtyard Kitchen, in the Fez Medina. Passionate about Spanish and Moroccan cuisine, she takes traditional recipes and gives them a modern makeover using local and seasonal ingredients. Follow Tara on Instagram @courtyardkitchenfez and Twitter @taralstevens.