To make the cake

• Preheat your oven to 180 C . Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan and line the bottom with parchment cake.
• Sift together the flour , baking powder, baking soda and salt. Keep aside
• Mix the buttermilk and vanilla. Keep aside
• Beat butter until smooth and silky.
• Add the sugar little by little (couple of tablespoons at a time) while beating
• Beat until smooth and fluffy
• Add the eggs, one by one , and mix well each time. The batter may look curdled.
• We will now add the dry and wet ingredients in three and two additions, respectively. Scrape the bowl as needed. First add the 1/3rd of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated
• Mix in 1/2 of the butter milk-vanilla mixture
• Mix in 1/2 of the remaining dry mixture
• Mix in the rest of the buttermilk-vanilla mixture
• Mix in the last of the flour mixture.
• Pour the batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bake at 180 C for 42-45 minutes. Toothpick inserted will be clean , the top will be browned, edges will come away and if you touch the top, it springs back. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert and cool completely.

To make the praline

• Line a tray with parchment /baking paper. Roast the almonds on stove top or in the oven at 200 c for 8-10 minutes until brown and have a nutty smell. Spread the almonds on the lined tray.
• Heat sugar and water in a sauce pan on high heat until sugar has melted .
• Continue heating on low undisturbed until it turns an amber colour
• Pour carefully over the almonds covering all of them. Let cool completely. Takes around 1/2 hour
• Break the praline into big pieces and pulse in your mixer/ blender. When you get a grainy consistency (takes only one or two pulses), your done.
• Praline is ready!

To make the buttercream

To assemble

• Get your cake , praline , sugar syrup (if using) and butterscotch buttercream ready.
• Chill your cake. Makes it easier . Trust me.
• Cut it horizontally into two slices.
• Take the top half (top facing down) and place on a cake board. I didn't have a square one, so I used a plate.Brush some simple syrup if you want .
• Add around a cup of the buttercream
• Spread until smooth and as even as possible. You could also pipe this on.
• Sprinkle the praline on top.
• Place the second half ( bottom of cake should be top). Brush with sugar syrup.
• Add another cup of buttercream and spread
• Spread some cream on the edges to keep the crumbs in ( crumb coat). Chill for 15 minutes in the freezer.
• If you are frosting the cake, you can now apply a second layer of buttercream and decorate as you wish. Since I wanted cake slices, I just made the top and sides as smooth as I could ( didn't do a great job as you can see!) and sliced away.