Red Gooseberry Cream Almond Torte

We've been blessed with some lovely sunny days this month which has allowed us to get out and start doing some work in the garden.  We've planted four large egg shaped box on the croquet lawn, finished putting up the wire around the goose coup and weeded the four beds in the potage garden.  We've planted some old favourites such as raspberry canes, rhubarb and currants, but have included some new varieties such as 'Champagne' rhubarb and red gooseberries.  I've found a wonderful recipe called 'Red Gooseberry Cream Almond Torte' so here it is:

Ingredients:

3 cups red gooseberries

3 cups sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch

3/4 cups butter

5 eggs - seperated

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups almonds - sliced thinly

2 cups whipping cream

2 tbsp vanilla sugar

3 tbsp whipped cream stabilizer

Method:

Put the gooseberries and 3/4 of a cup of sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat.

Stir occasionally to break up the gooseberries.

When the mixture looks like a sauce, whisk in the cornstartch one table spoon at a time until the sauce is thickened.

Turn the heat down low and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees.

Line the bottom of two springgorm cake tins with baking paper.

Mix together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

Cream the butter and 3/4 of a cup of sugar together.

Add the 5 egg yolks one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture.

Slowly add the flour.

Seperate the mixture between the two cake tins and set aside.

Beat the egg whites and 3/4 of a cup of sugar until stiff.

Spread over the cake mixture in both tins and sprinkle with almonds.

Bake both tins for 30 minutes or until the almonds are nice and brown.

Leave to cool.

Whip the cream, adding the vanilla sugar and whipped cream stabilizer.

Fold in the cooled gooseberry sauce.

Remore the cakes from their tins and peel off the baking paper.

Put one on a plate.

Carefully spread the whipped cream and gooseberry mixture on top.

Place the second cake on top and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.