I like to eat one piece as soon as the cake is finished, when it is still slightly warm and then try very hard to wait for day two and three to eat anymore of it ... I mostly fail.
It is a super moist, fuss free cake with a flavour that will smack you in the face.
Golden Lemon Almond Cake
Adapted slightly from Rose's Heavenly Cakes by Rose Levy Beranbam
Batter
227g unsalted butter at room temperature
12g of finely grated lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of bi-carb soda
11/4 teaspoon of baking powder
250g plain flour
2/3 teaspoon of lemon oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use pure vanilla bean paste and favour Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc)
242g of sour cream
3 large eggs at room temperature
250g of soft light brown sugar
60g of almond meal
Set an oven rack in the lower one third of your oven and preheat the oven to 175°C. Grease a round bundt pan.
In a medium bowl whisk the eggs, 1/4 cup of the sour cream, the vanilla and lemon oil until just combined.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the flat beater attachment mix the ground almonds, sugar, flour, baking powder, bi-carb soda, salt and lemon zest on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining sour cream mixing on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened then raise the speed to medium and beat for one and a half minutes, scraping down the sides as required.
With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the egg mixture in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition. Rose says that this strengthens the structure of the cake. Using a spatula scrape the batter in to the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a wooden skewer, when inserted, comes out clean.
Shortly before the cake finishes baking start making the syrup ...
Syrup
100g of soft light brown sugar
1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
In a microwavable glass bowl (or a small saucepan over medium heat), heat the sugar and lemon juice, stirring often until the sugar is almost completely dissolved. Do not boil. It is ok to still have a few undissolved grains as they will form a sparkly, crackly crust on the cake. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap to prevent evapouration.
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, place the pan on a wire rack and poke the cake's bottom all over with a thin skewer and then brush it with about 1/3 of the syrup mixture. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert it onto a serving plate or some grease proof paper. Brush the top and sides of the cake with the remaining syrup.
Eat a piece while it is still warm!
Then either wrap tightly or seal in an air tight container and try, i mean TRY to leave it for 24 hours before serving!
