When the urge
to bake arises, this simple cake with a moist but slightly crunchy texture can
be made and eaten within 2 hours. It is a sweeter cousin of cornbread;
incidentally it’s also gluten–free. The glaze contains a bit of liqueur, but
the alcohol burns off when heating it…so it’s ok for the kiddos too!
Recipe inspired by Nigel Slater
1 cup butter,
room temperature (more to grease the pan)
1 cup sugar2 2/3 cup almond meal (Trader Joe’s is best bet!)
3 eggs
1 ¼ cup corn meal or polenta
1 ½ tsp baking powder
zest and juice of one lemon
For the Glaze:
juice of two lemons
4 tbsp honey
2/3 cup elderflower liqueur (Thatcher’s or St. Germain brands are good)
To Serve:
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp cream or milk
Fresh berries
Prepare an 8”
or 9” spring form pan and rub all sides and bottom with butter, then line the
bottom with a round piece of parchment paper.
Preheat oven
to 350 degrees. Beat the butter and sugar together in a standing mixer for 2
minutes, scraping the sides to incorporate evenly. Next pour in the almond meal
and mix evenly. Mix the eggs in one at a time. (A good tip: break eggs into
small bowl before pouring into mixer to avoid shells) In another bowl, mix the
corn meal or polenta with the baking powder. Fold it into the mixture and then
add lemon zest and lemon juice.
Transfer the
cake mix into the lined pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn
the heat down to 325 degrees and turn the cake for even baking. Bake another 25
minutes.
To make the
glaze, squeeze the lemon juice into a small saucepan. Add the elderflower
liqueur and honey and bring to a boil for about 5-8 minutes. It should have the
consistency of a thin syrup.
When the cake
is still hot out of the oven, evenly pour the glaze over the cake. Let cake
cool. Slice into pieces and serve with yogurt thinned with some cream and some
berries.
