Spiced almond streusel dessert cake

Method

• 1
  Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 22cm round cake pan. Line base and side with 2 layers of baking paper.
• 2
  Place butter, sugar and syrup in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until combined. Remove from heat. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Cool for 10 minutes.
• 3
  Meanwhile, make streusel Combine almonds, flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Rub in butter until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
• 4
  Sift flours, ginger, mixed spice and soda into butter mixture. Mix until just combined. Whisk eggs and milk together in a jug. Add to flour mixture. Stir until smooth. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle streusel over flour mixture. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre of cake comes out clean (cover loosely with foil if over-browning during cooking). Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn, top side up, onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• 5
  Make filling Using an electric mixer, beat cream and icing sugar together until soft peaks form. Carefully cut cake in half. Place cake bottom on a plate. Top with filling. Sandwich with cake top. Serve.