Spanish lemons are glorious things, large and knobbly and yellow. When we saw Nigel Slater make this cake on TV we knew we had to try it. It’s a version of another lemon cake of his, where you sink slices of lemon into the top of the cake so they go dark and gooey. This cake uses fresh thyme, tender young thyme leaves. The moistness is, I think, down to the ground almonds. 200g butter
200g sugar
100g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
100g ground almonds
4 large eggs
1 lemon
1 tsp thyme leaves
For the topping:-
4 tbsp sugar
2 large lemons
½ tsp thyme leaves Grease and line a 19x9cm loaf tin with baking parchment.
Set the oven to 160C/gas 3.
Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift together the flour and baking powder, and mix with the almonds. Lightly beat the eggs then fold into butter mixture in two to three goes, beating in thoroughly each time. If the mixture looks like it may curdle, stir in a little flour.
Grate the lemon zest and mix with the thyme leaves, pound the two together in a pestle and mortar. Add the lemon mixture to the cake mixture. Add in the flour, baking powder and almonds. Spoon into the loaf tin, and bake for 45 minutes. While the cake bakes, dissolve the sugar in the juice of two lemons, over a moderate heat. Stir in the thyme leaves, including a few thyme flowers if you have them. When the cake comes out of the oven, spike the surface with a skewer and spoon over the syrup. Leave to cool.
We ate it warm from the oven with a generous dollop of creamy natural yogurt. 5 to remember
maravilloso/a – glorious
nudoso/a – knobbly
un trozo de pastel – a slice of cake
pegajoso/a – gooey
la levadura en polvo – baking powder