STEP 1:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Line two (or just one if you are making half the recipe) 20cm deep square cake tins with baking parchment. In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer, add the butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine the sieved flour, almonds, salt and baking powder.

STEP 2:

Add one egg to the butter mix along with a spoonful of the flour mix and beat in. Repeat with the remaining eggs and fold in the remaining flour at the end.

STEP 3:

Tip into the prepared tins and spread out. Bake for about 45 minutes, until risen and firm and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin before removing.

STEP 4:

To make the meringue buttercream, put the egg whites into a stand mixer and whip until they hold firm peaks. At the same time, dissolve the sugar in the water in a small pan and bring up to the boil. Boil until it reaches 121°C. Pour the hot syrup into the mixer in a thin, steady stream, with the whisk still going so it gets beaten into the egg white. Keep beating until the outside of the bowl has cooled to room temperature – up to 10 minutes. Now beat in the soft, diced butter, one chunk at a time, until you have a smooth, creamy mix.

STEP 5:

Transfer one cake to a board and top with a third of the Italian meringue buttercream. Sandwich the second cake on top. Now use the remaining buttercream to ice the sides of the cake.

STEP 6:

To finish the cake, spread the drained Del Monte® Fruit Cocktail over the top of the cake. You can embellish with silver lustre spray if you like.