Meyer Lemon and Almond Cake! We’re back…..popular demand! It’s no secret that in the blogging world, dessert recipes reign supreme. It’s been a while since we have done one. I can’t deny that if I have to choose my calories wisely, a piece of fried chicken will win over a slice of cake every time. Every now and then though, I get an itch to bake and this particular recipe I have been eyeing for a while.
This recipe is adapted from the “Jerusalem: A Cookbook” written by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. This cookbook has been in heavy rotation in our house. There is something about Middle Eastern food that draws me to it. I think it may have a lot to do with their use of spices. I have also been drawn to a lot of the desserts in this cookbook, making the infamous Babka two years in a row for Christmas. It seems most desserts in the book are not overtly sweet and a lot are flavored with a sugar syrup for sweetness The original recipe for this cake uses clementines. Well I saw a bag of Meyer lemons for $1.99, and I immediately scooped them up and knew I would replace the clementines for Meyer lemons. Meyer lemons have a beautiful flavor, a cross between a mandarin or orange and a lemon. To me the scent is very floral. They are currently in season, so if you see them, scoop them up and use them any place you would regular lemons. I not only love the flavor of Meyer lemons in this recipe, but I also love that it uses mostly almond flavor. The almond flour gives this cake a texture that is light and tender and the almonds provide a subtle nuttiness.
- ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cup plus ⅓ cup granulated sugar, divided
- grated zest and juice of 5 Meyer lemons
- 2½ cups almond flour
- 5 large eggs, beaten
- ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp all purpose flour, sifted
- pinch of salt
- Preheat the oven to 350º. Lightly grease a 9½-inch springform pan with butter and line the sides and bottom with parchment paper.
- Place the butter, 1½ cups sugar and zest in a stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment. Beat on low speed to combine everything together. Do not over work the mixture. Add half the ground almonds and mix until just combined.
- While the machine is running, gradually add the eggs, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl a couple of times as you go. Add the remaining ground almonds, the flour, and the salt. Beat until completely smooth.
- Pour the cake batter into the pan and level it with an offset spatula.
- Bake the cake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the the center comes out a little moist.
- When the cake is almost done, place the remaining ⅓ cup sugar and lemon juice (should be about ½ cup, remove some if needed) in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, brush it with the hot syrup. Make sure all the syrup soaks in. Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan. Slice and serve. Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
More SWEETS!! and our Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Cake.
This cake is absolutely delish!