Lemon and Almond Cake

LemonThe Jewish Museum Berlin Academy was inaugurated last month under the auspices of 12th century scholar Moses Maimonides and his dictum: “Hear the truth, whoever speaks it.” The significance of this quote was discussed over a Majorcan lemon and almond cake, the recipe of which dates back to the middle ages and is a part of Jewish patisserie culture, to which Maimonides is known to have been more than partial.

Ingredients:
200g blanched almonds
150g castor sugar
4 large eggs, separated
The grated peel of 2 lemons

Instructions:
Grind the almonds finely in the food processor.
Beat the egg yolks with the sugar to a pale cream then beat in the grated lemon peel.
Add the ground almonds and mix well.
Beat the egg whites stiff and fold into the almond mixture.
Pour into a buttered and floured 23 cm cake tin, preferably non-stick and with a removable bottom, and bake for about 40 minutes or until the cake feels firm and is lightly coloured. Let it cool before turning out.

Many thanks to Claudia Roden for this recipe.

Signe Rossbach, Events