My lovely next door neighbour has a lemon tree and is always telling me not to buy lemons, she has enough for me as well! She brought a bagful over recently and hence the flavour for this light and delicious slice. If, like my lovely neighbour, you like baking sweeter then you might like to add more sugar but I find it sweet enough for me.
Only cook the base until it is just cooked as it goes back in the oven later to cook the topping.
When the slice comes out of the oven for the second time, it can seem quite moist on the bottom but this doesn’t affect the taste or texture and in fact it dries out due to being stored in the fridge.
The cake base is a variation of my Chocolate Almond Slice without the chocolate flavour!
Cake Base
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind (optional)
- 1¼ cups ground almonds
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Method
Line a 20 cm square cake pan with baking paper – a loose-bottom pan is useful for this slice but not essential. Ensure that the paper comes high enough up the sides to allow for the topping plus some spare to help lift the slice out once it is cooked (especially if not using a loose-bottom pan). I also place a layer of tinfoil underneath the baking paper as I have had the topping spill out a little and then burn on the sides of the pan and the tinfoil saves having to wash the pan (unless you have one that can go in the dishwasher but mine can’t!).
Preheat the oven to 180º C.
Lightly whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla essence.
Mix in the lemon rind, ground almonds and baking powder.
Spread into the prepared tin. It may seem at first that there isn’t enough mixture to cover the base of the tin but it makes a thin layer and rises well during cooking.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until just cooked.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool while preparing the topping.
Cake Topping
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 4 tablespoons caster sugar
- 300 ml whipping cream (not thickened cream)
- ⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Method
Whisk together the eggs and sugar.
Whisk in the cream.
Whisk in the lemon juice. The mixture may start to curdle when the lemon juice is added but continue whisking and it will become smooth again.
Once the base has cooled (although it doesn’t need to be completely cold, still warm is fine), pour the topping over the base.
I found it quite awkward pouring the topping on the first few times I made this slice as depending on how well I had lined the tin, the baking paper got in the way and diverted the topping. Paper clips are handy for holding the baking paper in place out of the way, but be sure to use metal paper clips not plastic ones!
Place the cake back in the oven and bake for another 35-45 minutes until the topping is set and just starting to darken on top.
It may seem a little wobbly still but it sinks a bit once it’s out of the oven and then becomes firmer.
If, like me, you have used a tin with a non-removable base, carefully lift the slice out by lifting the sides of the baking paper. The slice tends to bend a little in the middle during this delicate operation but it doesn’t break and it goes back into shape as soon as it’s out of the tin and on a flat surface.
Cut as desired. It is nice with coffee or just as nice as a dessert.
The slice is best stored in the fridge due to the egg and cream content.
