1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base and sides of two 20cm round springform cake tins with baking paper. Put the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 10 minutes or until the mixture is thick and pale yellow in colour.

2 Sift flour and cornflour 3 times. Add flours to egg mixture. Drizzle boiling water around the edge of the bowl. Using a large metal spoon, fold flour and water into egg mixture until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins, then shake the tins to level the mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cakes shrink from the sides of the tins, and spring back when pressed in the centre with your fingertips.

3 Cover a wire rack with a sheet of baking paper and invert the cakes on the rack to cool. Wash 1 cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper. Remove ice-cream from freezer and stand to soften.

4 Put caramel filling into a medium mixing bowl, add the cream and stir until mixture is smooth. Spoon one-third of the caramel mixture onto the flat side of 1 sponge and carefully put sponge into the prepared cake tin, caramel side up. Spoon softened ice-cream onto cake and gently spread until even. Spread half of the remaining caramel mixture onto the flat side of the remaining cake. Put the cake, caramel side down, on the ice-cream. Cover the top of the cake with plastic wrap and put in the freezer for at least 4 hours or until frozen. Remove the cake from the tin and transfer to a cake stand or platter. Spread with remaining caramel mixture and sprinkle with almond praline.

5 To make almond praline, line an oven tray with baking paper and spread almonds on the paper in a single layer. Put the sugar in a medium heavy-based pan over a low heat. Allow the sugar to dissolve, shaking the pan often until all sugar has melted and has become a rich caramel colour. This will take 15-20 minutes. Pour the toffee over the almonds. Cool. When the toffee is cold and hard, break into pieces and put in the food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Store praline in an airtight container.

Photos by Chris L Jones