I’ve been hanging on to some dried lavender for a while waiting for a good use for it that would be delish. Lavender needs to be used super sparingly but pairs really well with lemon, so when I saw the recipe for this flourless lemon cake, I figured it would hit the flavor combo jackpot. And my oh my, did it. Scrummy.
I replaced the sugar with granulated stevia (and reduced the amount to take down the sweet intensity a little), added in some finely ground lavender, switched around some other elements, and gave it a go. It’s time-intensive, but the final cake is sophisticated and light and just amazing.
For a final touch, I drizzled on some warm lemon curd as a glaze, which added a little more sweetness.
Scraping the seeds from a vanilla bean pod makes for rich flavor and those little familiar speckles. Bonus!
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup caster sugar or caster sugar substitute
- 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
- 1/6 cup lemon zest
- 1/4 cup juice from a lemon
- 1/2 tsp lavender seeds, finely ground
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 eggs, separated and at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups almond meal/flour
- 10 1/2 ounces light ricotta
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- Optional: icing sugar or icing sugar substitute and lemon curd
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325F.
- Line the base and sides of an 8-inch round spring form pan with parchment or butter.
- Place the butter, 2/3 of the caster sugar/sugar substitute, vanilla seeds, lavender seeds, salt, and lemon zest in a mixer and beat for 5-7 minutes.
- Gradually add in the egg yolks one at a time, and beat until combined. Slowly add the almond meal and beat to combine.
- Gently fold ricotta through the almond meal mixture.
- In a separate, clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add the remaining sugar to the egg whites and whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold a third of the egg whites into the cake mixture, repeating twice with the rest of the egg whites.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, sprinkle with sliced almonds, and bake for 45-55 minutes or until fully cooked and light golden in color.
- Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.
- Optional: Dust with icing sugar and drizzle with warmed up lemon curd to serve.
Macros for 1/8 of the cake (using sugar substitute):
392 calories | 35g fat | 10.25g carbs | 3.5g sugar | 12.8g protein
Enjoy with some lavender tea and a raised pinky.
Catherine Clark is a Chicago native sharing noteworthy things she sees and attempts to make in the world. She's a geek, cat lady, designer and editor by day, and noob chef by night.
