Lemon Cake
The last time I made a lemon cake was years ago, but the memory of its bright, delicate flavor stayed with me. While putting together the menu for our Father’s Day breakfast, I came across a beautifully photographed lemon cake in a baking magazine, and that was all the inspiration I needed. Very quickly, the menu was decided and the necessary ingredients made their way home from the store.
The original recipe is by Tim Bramich, and while the cake is timeless in its classic form, I’ve made a few small adjustments along the way: spelt flour instead of wheat flour, coconut palm sugar and agave syrup instead of refined sugar, and creamy cream cheese in place of cream.
This is a dessert worth trying. It also works beautifully as a light finish to a festive meal—after a long dinner, something fresh yet sweet is exactly what you want.
- 400 g wholegrain spelt flour
- 200 g butter (lactose-free)
- 100 g coconut palm sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 7 eggs + leftover egg whites from the crust
- zest and juice of 3 large lemons
- 200 g agave syrup
- 160 g cream cheese (lactose-free)
- 1 Mix all crust ingredients together until you have a smooth dough. Knead lightly, form into a ball, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- 2
Roll out the dough into a circle and press it into a lined 26 cm baking tin, bringing the edges up about 3 cm high. To prevent the sides from collapsing during pre-baking, line the crust with baking paper and fill it with baking beans or dry rice. Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes, then remove and let cool.- 3
For the filling, whisk the eggs together with the lemon zest and juice. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese and agave syrup until light and fluffy (about 4–5 minutes). Gently fold the two mixtures together until smooth and well combined.- 4
Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust and bake at 120°C for about 45 minutes. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.lemon cake, cake, lemon, sweet and sour - 2