Dolce al Limone 

Dolce al Limone 

The recipe comes from a book that I picked up during my first visit to the Costiera Amalfitana and I love it for its simplicity and precision.

• 300 g of sugar
• 250 g of butter, at room temperature (it should be soft)
• 4 eggs
• 300 g of flour
• grated zest of 2 large lemons
• 125 ml of full fat milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
• finely chopped hazelnuts or shaved toasted almonds for decorating

For the lemon mix:

• 150 ml of water
• juice from 2 lemons
• 4 tablespoons of sugar

Start with whipping the butter using an electric mixer. Gradually add the sugar while whipping all the time.

Start mixing the eggs, one at a time. Combine the baking powder with the flour and slowly add it to the mixture (mixing all the time), you can start pouring in the milk at the same time which will make  mixing the dough easier. Finally stir in the grated lemon zest.

Grease very well with butter and dust with flour a fluted cake pan.

Pour in the dough and bake in a preheated oven to 175 C for about 40-45 minutes.

While the lemon cake is in the oven prepare the lemon mix by stirring all the ingredients together until the sugar dissolves.

Once the cake is baked take it out from the oven and leave it to cool (inside the fluted cake pan) for about two hours.

Now is the time to add the lemonade mixture into the cake which will moisten the cake.

You can pour it over either while the cake is still in the pan or once you have flipped it out by turning the pan over and securing it with a serving plate. Take your time when pouring over the lemon mixture. It should be spread and absorbed evenly.

Once you have removed the lemon cake decorate it with finely chopped hazelnuts or toasted flaky almonds.