Flourless Lemon & Almond Cake
I once liked Chocolate Cake as much as the next fellow. Never in the same category as a Victoria Sponge or Custard, but I liked it. Then I became a mother, and every single occasion was overtaken by Chocolate. Birthdays, anniversaries and just everyday baking. Even Thanksgiving and Christmas were monopolized.
This Lemon & Almond Cake with Cream Cheese frosting is so far from Chocolate its frightening; it's mild, delicate and dainty, gluten free, easy to make and won't stain any clothes!
This cake stays good and moist for up to a week. A great ‘make in advance’ option dessert. To make in advance, once frosted and decorated, cover the cake with a large upside down bowl and refrigerate.
Organic Ingredients: Serves 8
3 Small round Lemons, or 2 large ones, washed
2 & 1/3 Cups Almond Meal (Powdered ground up Almonds)
1 Heaped Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Greek Yoghurt
2 Tsp. Orange Marmalade
5 Pastured Eggs
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
Parchment paper or Baking sheets
Slivered Almonds to decorate the sides/top of cake (optional)
Organic Cream Cheese Frosting
8 Tbsps. Pastured Cream Cheese, at room temp.
8 Tbsps. Pastured Butter, at room temp.
1 & 1/3 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
Method
Bring Lemons, skin on, to a boil in a pot of Water. Cover and reduce heat to a medium simmer. Cook for two hours. Remove from heat, discard Water and allow Lemons to slightly cool. Cut in half and remove seeds. Cut any remnants of the stem off and discard.
Blitz Lemons, skin on, in a food processor for 1 minute. Add all the remaining ingredients to the food processor and blitz for 2 minutes.
Grease a 9" round baking dish with Butter. Line the bottom of the dish with Parchment paper for easy removal once ready.
Bake in 375F oven for 40 minutes and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and place baking dish on a slightly raised, perforated cooling rack for 6 hours or overnight.
Once completely cooled, loosen edges of cake from pan using a butter knife and turn over onto a cake dish.
To make Cream Cheese frosting, you'll need an electric mixer, but hand held is fine. Combine Cream Cheese, Butter and Vanilla in a large bowl and whisk for 1 minute. Add half the amount of Sugar, whisk for a further minute. Add remaining Sugar and continue whisking for another minute or so.
Apply Frosting onto Cake...watch a video on how to do this if you haven't done it before. It's simple and straightforward.
You could decorate the sides of the cake with slivered Almonds. To do this, toast Slivered Almonds in a 400f oven until toasted. This only takes a few minutes; watch them carefully. Once cooled, one by one decorate the sides of the Cake per picture below.
Refrigerate to chill for an hour before serving. Enjoy.
Seal in an airtight container and refrigerate to store leftovers. Stays good and moist for up to a week!
