Preheat oven to Fan Oven 160°C/180°C/350°F/Gas 4

Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

Ensure the butter is at room temperature and soft enough to beat. If not soften it slightly in the microwave. (Be very careful not to melt it though – just do 5 seconds at a time if you are unsure.)

Put all the remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk thoroughly with an electric whisk until just combined. This should take around 1 minute, and no more.

Transfer to the prepared cake tin and cook in the centre of the oven for 18 - 22 minutes or until the sponge is cooked. It is cooked when:

- the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains

- a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean

- the cake is beginning to come away from the sides of the tin/dish.

Take out of the oven and leave for 5 minutes. Remove the cake from the tin onto a cooling rack. Leave to cool.

Toast the flaked almonds in a frying pan. Heat the pan over a moderate heat, add the almonds (no oil or anything else) and cook, stirring every now and then, until the almonds look a little browner than before. It should only take 2 – 3 minutes; do not take your eye off the pan as they can burn easily and quickly.

Transfer to a different bowl as soon as they are cooked. This is to prevent further browning.

Sieve the icing into a mixing bowl and slowly adding the lemon juice, mixing well in between each addition until the desired consistency is achieved. I used 4 teaspoons in the pictures shown.

Spread the icing over the top of the cooled cake, right to the edges. It is OK for it to drip down the sides of the cake.

Scatter over the flaked almonds and grate over a little lemon zest.

Put the kettle on! Enjoy.