For the cake

• 250g butter, softened
• 300g caster sugar
• 5 eggs
• 300g self-raising flour
• 100g almonds, ground
• ¼ cup milk

For the lemon butter icing

• Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
• 150g butter
• 250g icing sugar, sifted
• Pink rose petals

1 Preheat the oven to 160ºC. Grease and line 2 x 20cm square baking tins.
2 Place all the cake ingredients in a bowl of an electric mixer, beat slowly for 1 minute, then increase the speed and beat for another 3 minutes.
3 Pour half the mixture into one of the tins, add a few drops pink food colouring to the remaining mixture, stir well to combine, then add the pink batter to the second tin, bake for 40 minutes or until the cakes are done.
4 Remove and set aside to cool completely. Cut each cake into 2 equal-sized lengths, approx 6cm in width, ice each length with the lemon butter icing, place a vanilla and pink length sideby- side and top with a second vanilla and pink length, to create a checkerboard pattern.
5 For the icing: Place the lemon juice, zest and butter in a bowl, whisk to combine, add the icing sugar and continue to beat until combined. Ice the entire cake.
6 To serve: Garnish cake with rose petals.

Words and image: Fairlady magazine