Pre-heat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Line a
900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment.
Cream the butter with the sugar in a food mixer
until pale and fluffy. In a separate bowl sift
together the flour and baking powder then mix with
the almonds.
Lightly beat the eggs then fold them into the
butter mixture in two or three sessions, beating
them in thoroughly each time. If the mixture looks
as if it is about to curdle, stir in some of the
flour.
|
Grate the zest from the lemon and mix it with the
thyme leaves. Pound the two together with a
pestle, or some other heavy weight, and stir into
the cake mixture.
Gradually mix in the flour, baking powder and
almonds.
Spoon the cake mixture into the lined tin and bake
for 45 minutes (if dividing the mixture into
smaller tins reduce the time accordingly).
For the topping, dissolve the sugar in the juice
of the lemons over a moderate heat and stir in the
thyme leaves (a few flowers would be good here
too). As the cake comes from the oven, spike the
surface with a skewer and spoon over the syrup.
Leave to cool and serve in slices with thick
yoghurt.
|