the base lined with baking parchment or greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. In another bowl
mix the almonds and flour together and set aside.
Add the eggs to the butter and sugar
a little at a time
with the beater on slow. Turn the machine off and add the zest and a third of the almonds and flour
then turn the mixer on slow until the dry ingredients are incorporated
then add the second
and then the third lot
switching the machine off each time. If you do this too quickly you will end up with a heavy cake.
Finally
the machine still on slow
mix in the orange juice and the mincemeat. Transfer the mixture with a rubber spatula to the lined cake tin and bake for 35 minutes. Run a palette knife around the edge of the tin and turn out onto sugared greaseproof paper. Leave to cool.
For the orange and lemon curd
put the zest and juice
the sugar and the butter into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water
making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir with a whisk from time to time until the butter has melted.
Mix the eggs and yolks lightly with a fork then stir into the lemon and orange mixture. Let the curd cook
stirring regularly
for about 10 minutes until it is thick and custard-like. It should feel heavy on the whisk. Remove from the heat and stir occasionally as it cools.
Break the mincemeat sponge into pieces and put them in the bottom of a serving dish. Sprinkle with a little sweet wine or Marsala or dry sherry. Pour over the custard then place in the fridge
covered.
When the curd is cool
pour it over the custard and chill for an hour. Whip the cream
spoon on top
then decorate the top of the trifle with orange zest and physalis and a scattering of chopped pistachios.
