German Butterkuchen/bundt Cake

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 6-7 cup fluted ring cake mould with 30g/1oz butter, putting large dabs in the creases of the mould and embedding an almond in each dab. Put in the refrigerator to set while preparing the mixture. Cream the remaining butter well. Gradually beat in the sugars, beating well between each addition. Add the egg yolks one at a time, and beat until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and almond essences. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt three times and fold into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk (the last addition should be flour). Whisk the egg whites until stiff, stir a spoonful into the cake mixture and, when incorporated, fold in the remaining whites carefully and lightly using a large metal spoon. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for about 1 1/2 hours or until the cake is cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to stand for about 15 minutes before turning out. Allow the cake to cool completely before dusting with sifted icing sugar. Cut this rich cake into thin slices to serve. You can even bake this in a deep 18cm/7inch cake tin if you like. VARIATION: 30g/1oz butter 1/3 cup flaked almonds 1 quantity Butterkuchen mixture 3 tablespoons grated bittersweet chocolate icing sugar to finish Butter the cake tin/bundt tin and sprinkle with the flaked almonds. Put in the refrigerator to set while preparing the cake mixture. Carefully spoon half the cake mixture into the tin/mould. Sprinkle the grated chocolate over the mixture in the tin (it should not go near the edges). Spoon in the remaining cake mixture and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool as above and sprinkle with icing sugar before serving. (Personally I would increase the amount of chocolate....)