A very good lemon cake
MAKES ONE 22 CM CAKE
I was very pleased with myself when I first made this cake. So pleased, in fact, that I ate nearly half of it in one sitting. Always a good sign. The ricotta in the batter makes for a delightfully tender crumb and there is something excellent about caramelised lemon slices and toasty almonds. It also happens to be gluten-free. Needless to say, since then this cake has been on high rotation in our house and for friends. It’s best eaten with a generous spoonful of thick cream.
• 220 g caster sugar• finely grated zest of 3 lemons, plus 1 thinly sliced lemon• 100 g unsalted butter, softened• 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla bean paste• 250 g fresh ricotta• 4 eggs, separated• 250g almond flour• a pinch of salt• 60ml (¼ cup) flaked almonds• double-thick cream, to serve
LEMON GLAZE
• 55g caster sugar• 20ml (4 tsp) lemon juice
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced. Grease a 22cm round springform tin thoroughly with butter and line the base and side with baking paper.
Place halfwith a paddle attachment. Mix on low for a minute or so to allow the lemon to infuse into the sugar, before adding the butter and vanilla and beating until light and fluffy. Add the ricotta and beat until well combined. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Fold the almond flour through and set aside.
