Lemon, Almond & Polenta cake #bestcake #ever #glutenfree

This is the best cake in the world dot.com.
Outrageously delicious it’s adulterated from The River Cafe cookbook.
It was in The FiFi Report years ago but when I made it a few weeks ago I knew it deserves another outing. It is sensational.
It is a serious crowd pleaser and can feed 10 at a dinner party. Easily.
The secret?
The whizzed up almonds and the polenta give it an incredible crunchy texture. The lemon gives it a zingy taste. With all that butter of course it’s delicious.

You need for 45 models or 12 people.
450 softened unsalted butter
450g caster sugar
450 almonds (or mixed nuts)
2 teasp vanilla essence
6 eggs
Juice of 4 lemons
Zest of 2 lemons  (and a quarter of preserved lemon if you have it)
225 polenta coarse (not soft)
1 and 1/2 teasp baking powder
sprinkle of salt ( if not using the preserved lemon)
A big cake tin.

•    Slip into a chic black dress
•    Guzzle glass of champagne.
•    Preheat oven to about 160.
•    Moisturise a big cake tin with lots of butter.
•    Best layer the bottom with baking paper.  That’s the cake tin not your bottom.
•    Whizz the almonds till they’re ground to half the size then take about a handful out (to sprinkle on later before cooking) then whizz them again till the nuts are finely ground. Hint: a few chunks of nuts are good.
•    Zest 4 lemons and juice a couple of them.
•    If you’ve got some preserved lemon, cut up a quarter very finely and squish it so that it virtually melts in the cake mix.
•    Beat the butter with the sugar in a bowl till creamy and pale as a Chanel camellia.
•    Stir in the nuts gently with a wooden spoon so it doesn’t hurt them and add the vanilla essence.
•    Now beat the eggs in one at a time.
•    Get the wooden spoon and fold the zest, lemon juice and preserved lemon too.
•    Add the polenta and the baking powder and do more folding ( as you do with your all cashmere sweaters) so that it’s all mixed.
•    Do a taste test and lick the spoon to check it’s delicious.
•    Pour into the cake tin, smooth over and sprinkle the extra handful of nuts nonchalantly over the top.
•    Pop in the oven for about 1hr and 10 mins depending on your oven. It’s cooked when it’s as light brown as an Hermes Kelly bag and when it bounces when you touch it. (Like your stomach after eating it ).
•    Hint: it’s Ok if the cake is a bit under cooked….it makes it gooey and moist.
•    Hint: When it’s still hot and straight out of the oven, squeeze some lemon or lime juice over it, let a dollop of butter melt on top of it (to kill everyone) and then sprinkle over some icing sugar.
•    Serve this and you will never look back.
•    You’re worth it.

*You can see another version of the recipe here.