Simple Almond and Lemon Cake
This is the simple, luscious cake that we all need in our lives right now. With no more than a couple of bowls, a whisk and a few minutes work, you will have the most delightful, crowd-pleasing almond and lemon cake you could hope for.
Let me tell you about the cast of this incredible cake. The almonds and olive oil keep the cake sensationally moist and bring the lush, melt-in-the-mouth texture. While the lemon zest and lemon juice bring a citrusy fragrance that infuses every bite, giving Italian coastal vibes without the need to travel to the Amalfi Coast.
As for the slivered almonds on the top, they add a lovely crunch and textural contrast to the lusciousness of the cake and help the cake not brown too quickly.
Rather than shout at you with its tartness, as lemon often does, in this cake it plays a supporting role, allowing the almond and the olive oil flavours to shine. The lemon lingers in the back, understated yet confident.
It’s the type of cake that doesn’t shout from the roof tops about how fabulous it is. Rather, it’s quiet confidence underscores a universal truth – delicious cake speaks for itself. So sit back and let this cake deliver you a little piece of Italian summer.
A couple of notes:
Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar maximises the lemon flavour in this cake. The oils in the lemon zest start to come out when you rub it into the sugar, not only making the cake delicious, but your kitchen will smell amazing too!
Almond-based cakes like this are incredibly moist and can be tricky to tell when they are cooked in the middle. When there’s about five minutes left on the baking time I like to give the centre a gentle push. If it feels firm and springs back it should be done. If you have a thermometer, you can also test the temperature. If it is around 98 degrees in the centre the cake will be done. But don’t worry too much – this cake has an abundance of moistness, so a few extra minutes in the oven will do little harm.
Ingredients
250g almond meal
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Zest of two lemons, the juice from one
190g caster sugar
5 eggs, room temperature
1.5 teaspoons vanilla paste
145g olive oil
60g slivered almonds
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees C, and grease and line the base and sides of a 23cm spring-form tin. Whisk to combine the almond meal, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
Add the sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl and rub the zest into the sugar using your fingertips until the sugar is evenly coated in lemony goodness.
Add in the eggs and vanilla and whisk to fully combine – about a minute. Drizzle in the olive oil while gently whisking, followed by the juice of one of the zested lemons. Add the almond meal mix and gently whisk until evenly combined and there are no lumps of almond meal in the batter.
Pour into your prepared tin and scatter the slivered almonds evenly over the surface of the cake. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until fully cooked in the centre.
Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before carefully removing the sides of the tin and leaving to coom completely to room temperature. Liberally dust with icing sugar and serve with coffee and the people you love. No other accompaniment needed!
The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature, and up to 5 days in the fridge.
