Friday Bake & Treat
Lemon zest perfumes the almond crumb in this simple cake. Whipped egg whites give it lift, and a handful of chopped almonds adds crunch to the top. Slice it once cool and serve with a cup of tea.
Lemon and almond cake
Serves8
Prep15 mins
Bake35 mins
Total1 hr 20 mins
DifficultyEasy
Allow 30 minutes to cool. You will need a 20cm round tin and an electric whisk.
Ingredients
- A little butter for the tin
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 150g cane sugar, divided into 100g and 50g
- Finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons and 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 200g ground almonds
- 30g whole almonds, roughly chopped
Allergens. Contains almonds, eggs and milk. The selected almonds and sugar are labelled unsuitable for coeliacs and packed where nuts, seeds, cereals, soya and gluten are handled. Check the current packs.
Method
- Prepare the tinHeat the oven to 170°C, fan 150°C, gas 3. Butter the tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment.
- Mix the almond baseWhisk the yolks and 100g sugar until pale and thick. Stir in the lemon zest and juice, then mix in the ground almonds.
- Fold in the whitesWith clean beaters and a clean bowl, whisk the whites to soft peaks. Gradually whisk in the remaining 50g sugar until glossy and firm. Stir a large spoonful into the almond mixture to loosen it, then fold in the rest in two batches.
- Bake and coolSpoon into the tin, level gently and scatter the chopped almonds over the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out without wet batter. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift onto a rack for at least another 15 minutes before slicing.
Try orange instead
Swap the lemon zest and juice for the zest of one orange and a tablespoon of its juice.
Change the topping
Leave the chopped almonds off if you prefer a softer top. The ground almonds still give the cake its texture.
Shop the ingredients
The basket adds one full pack of each item. Pick up the eggs, lemons and butter separately.
