Almond, lemon, ricotta and polenta cake

If summer is not coming to us, we will conjure it up in our plates! We will force it into our dishes and how best to do that than to use the enchanted flavours of Sicilian lemons, unadulterated ground almond and exotic polenta in order to create a “spirit of summer” cake? Seasonal and gluten-free.

Baking is soulful and a proper pick-me-up when all else is a disappointment including the longing for sunshine. This cake will fill your kitchen with the scents of a lemon grove and the lingering taste of sunnier places… You can serve it as pudding or eat it for breakfast as they do in Sicily, or better even : have it with a cup of tea outdoors! Any CHANCE of a picnic this week-end?!

Ingredients list:

• Butter, 50g
• Sugar, 280g
• Eggs, 6
• Fine polenta, 150g
• Ground almond, 200g
• Baking powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Honey, 2 Tbsp
• Zest of 5 lemons and juice of one
• Ricotta, 300g

All the scents of summer

Pre-heat the oven to 160.

Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy and add the eggs one at a time.

Zest each lemon carefully – better to choose organic and unwaxed lemons if you can. Juice one of them and keep the others for a Granita de limone.

Fold all the remaining ingredients and pour into a lined and buttered cake pan.

If you have some lemon extract, you can add a few drops for a more intense lemon taste. Bake for just over an hour at 160 °. It is ready when the middle is still ever so slightly wobbly. The result is a dense and intense cake with a silky and melting texture. Irresistibly lemony…

Serve cold with yogurt and on its own.

This quantity will fill a dish 23 cm in diameter. The recipe is inspired by an australian site: www.goodfood.com.au With thanks!