Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter 2 x 24cm springform cake tins and line bases with baking paper. Dust tins with flour and set aside.
• Put butter and sugar into electric mixer and beat on medium for 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add vanilla and milk – mixture may look curdled but it will be fine. Finally, mix in flour just until combined.
• Divide batter equally between tins, then spread out evenly into a shallow layer. Batter is quite stiff, but be patient, and it will work. Set tins aside.
• To make meringue, thoroughly wash and dry mixer bowl and beaters. Add egg whites to bowl and beat on medium until softly fluffy. Add sugar, a little at a time, beating well after each addition, until meringue is thick and glossy – this takes about 8-10 minutes.
• Divide meringue evenly between cake tins and use a palette knife to spread over cake batter as smoothly as you can. Scatter flaked almonds over each meringue layer, then quickly mix cinnamon and extra sugar and sprinkle over top. Bake cakes for 25-30 minutes, or until tops are deep golden brown.
• Remove cakes to wire racks and leave to cool in tins for 8 minutes. Release and remove sides of tins. Lay sheet of baking paper over top of one cake, carefully invert onto a flat plate, remove base and paper, then invert cake again onto cooling rack so it is meringue-side up. Repeat with the second cake. Leave to cool completely.
• Close to serving time, make cream filling. Whip cream and vanilla together until thick and fluffy. Then dribble in amaretto, whisking as you go. Sit one cake layer, meringue-side up, on cake stand. Spread vanilla cream evenly on top. Dot with raspberries. Sit remaining cake on top, meringue-side up. If the weather is cool, the cake will hold well like this for a couple of hours. It is best eaten on the day it is made.