Mallorcan Lemon Cake

Mallorcan Lemon Cake

This Mallorcan Lemon Cake is an adaptation of my mums lemon cake. I’ve been coming to the Spanish island of Mallorca since I was 9 years old.  My auntie has a home here and we would come almost every summer when we were kids.  As the family grew up and my cousins had children of their own, negotiating an available week at my aunties place became more and more like juggling kittens so The Viking and I felt it was time to branch out on our own and explore.  We didn’t have to go far to discover the beautiful old town of Pollenca, its narrow-cobbled streets, the Calvary steps leading up to spectacular views, the Plaza Major with its bars and restaurants and of course all the lovely locals.

Be brave!

I’m never one to be shy for talking to random strangers and it always pays off because the doors that a friendly face can open are infinite.  People began to know us not only as the two English blokes but Dom and Andy.  I would say we get a warmer welcome here than our local town in the UK.  We now consider many of these people part of our extended family, welcoming us into their homes.

The Lemon grove

Our friends Joan and Violetta have a finca just out of town and their garden is filled with citrus trees which feels like something out of a dream for this little kid that grew up in London and didn’t quite realise that lemons came from trees and not the supermarket! The ability to be able to ask my friends if I can go and pick a few lemons for a cake feels like an honour and makes our time here even more special.

Grease and line a 20cm x 10cm x 7cm loaf tin and pre-heat the oven to 170C / 338F

for the cake

• 225g butter – at room temperature soft
• 225g caster sugar
• 175g self-raising flour (or plain flour mixed with 2 teaspoons baking powder)
• 50g ground almonds
• 3 large eggs
• the finely grated zest of two lemons
• 2 or three tablespoons milk

for the glaze

• the juice of 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Place the sugar into a bowl and grate the lemon zest on top.  Using your fingers, rub the lemon zest into the sugar to release the essential oils. Add the butter and beat well for at least 8 minutes until it creams together and become light and fluffy. – I’m using bowl and wooden spoon and some old-fashioned elbow grease but a stand mixer would do the work for you.

Add half the flour and 2 eggs and beat again gently until incorporated, then add a tablespoon of lemon juice, 3 tablespoons milk and the remaining flour and final egg and beat it all together.

Pour the batter into your loaf tin and bake for 45 – 50 mins or until golden and risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean

Whilst the cake is in the oven, combine the remaining juice and two tablespoons of sugar into a pan and stir well, heat gently, then set aside.

Remove the cake from the oven and pierce all over with the skewer then pour the lemon sugar syrup all over the cake. Sprinkle the top with sugar and leave the cake in the loaf tin until completely cool.

For more cake recipes, check these out on Dom in the Kitchen.

Eat and of course, enjoy!