This wonderfully moist, flourless cake is a variation of Claudia Roden’s classic orange and almond cake. In this version I used lemons and poppy seeds, a classic combination. And with a glut of lemons, why not?
First boil 3 large or 4 small lemons until very soft. You can do this ahead of time and if you have a pressure cooker it will reduce the cooking time a lot. When cooled, cut the lemons open and remove any pips as well as the central pith. Preheat your oven to 180C (350F) and prepare a spring-form cake tin by greasing and lining with baking paper. In a food processor combine the lemons with 250g (8.8oz) of almond meal, ¾ of a cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 5 large eggs and some grated lemon zest and process until smooth. If the mixture is very wet, add a little more almond meal. Stir in some poppy seeds – the amount is flexible as long as they are visible throughout the mixture. Transfer the mixture into the cake tin and bake for up to an hour until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin and serve with double cream.
michelle picker cooks 