Speculaas cake with almonds

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (top and bottom heat). 

2. Grease a loaf tin (preferably 25 cm) or line it with baking paper.

3. Sift the flour, speculaas spice mix, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Set aside for a moment.

4. Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of your mixer and beat for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. This will make your cake nice and airy.

5. Add the eggs one at a time while continuing to mix. Make sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Also add the vanilla extract and mix well.

6. Now add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in parts, alternating with the milk. Start with a little flour, then add some milk, and keep mixing on low speed. Repeat until everything is well combined and you have a smooth batter.

7. Gently fold the sliced almonds into the batter. This gives the cake a nice crunch and a subtle almond flavour.

8. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top. Place the cake in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Check if it is done by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

9. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove it from the tin and let it cool further on a wire rack.

10. Slice the cake and serve as a delicious treat during Saint Nicholas festivities. 

You can optionally decorate the cake with extra almonds or a thin layer of icing sugar for a festive look.