This pound cake is very versatile.
It is absolutely delicious by itself with tea or coffee or with ice cream, sorbets, granitas, berries or other fresh fruit.
Servings:10
INGREDIENTS:
5 tablespoons (1/2 stick + 1 tbsp./2 1/2 oz./70g) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
12 ounces almond paste, cut into pieces
Grated zest of 3 lemons
5 large eggs
1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3-4 tablespoons lemon liqueur (See Cook’s Note below)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Garnish (optional)
Thin strips of lemon peel, to decorate top of cake
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F/160 degrees C.
Set a rack on the middle level of oven.
Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
Line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper and dust with flour.
Beat together the 5 tablespoons butter, oil and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy.
Add the almond paste and lemon zest and beat until smooth.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Fold in the flour and baking powder.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out almost clean.
Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
Unmold onto the rack and let cool completely.
Transfer the cake right side up to a serving plate and gradually brush the lemon liqueur over the top slowly so it sinks in completely. (The cake can be made up to a day in advance; wrap with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.)
Just before serving, decorate top of cake with strips of lemon peel (optional) and dust top with confectioners’ sugar.
Cook’s Note:
For the lemon liqueur, use Limoncello, imported from Italy or any other good brand of lemon liqueur.
Source: DianaDesserts
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