Almond and white chocolate mousse cake

Method

1. To make the mousse, put 50ml cold water in a bowl and add the gelatine. Leave to soak for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, put half the cream into a pan. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Remove the gelatine from the water and squeeze dry. Add to the cream, whisking until dissolved.
2. Put the white chocolate in a food processor and, while it’s running, slowly add the hot cream in a steady stream. Whizz until smooth. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to cool, then chill for about 30 minutes.
3. Whisk the remaining cream to stiff peaks, then fold into the chocolate mixture. Cover with cling film and chill for up to 3 hours.
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4. Meanwhile, make the sponge. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/ gas 4. Line the base of 3 x 21cm loose-bottomed sandwich tins. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the eggs, butter and sugar and whisk until the mixture drops from the spoon when you tap it on the side of the bowl. Stir in the almonds and almond extract, then divide among the tins. Bake for 30 minutes until the sponges are golden and spring back when pressed.
5. Turn the sponges on to a wire rack and leave to cool. Once cool, slice in half horizontally to make six layers.
6. Put one sponge base on a serving plate or cake stand. Using a palette knife, spread a layer of mousse, then repeat with the remaining sponge layers. Cover the sides and top of the cake with the mousse (if it becomes too soft, chill again for 30 minutes).
7. Decorate the mousse cake with white chocolate holly leaves (see tip) and edible gold dragées or balls.