Lemon and Rosemary Syrup Cake
Lemon and Rosemary Syrup Cake
Yesterday was one of those days, the sort of day when the safest way to avoid disaster is to shut yourself away and do nothing. I should have heeded the early warning signs.
I went into the kitchen to bake a cake, a particular cake I’d been planning to make for a couple of weeks. Perhaps I should have abandoned that idea, but then I would have missed out on discovering this wonderfully forgiving cake recipe.
Before I’d even begun I’d hit the skids, the bottle of olive oil was almost empty, melted butter would have to do. My bread was neither white or stale so I ignored the colour and mixed fresh crumbs with some dry. The only almonds I had were already ground with the skins on. So be it.
After mixing the batter I thought it looked thin enough to leak out of my old springform pan so I tipped it into a savarin mould instead. I watched the cake rise and rise and rise. It come perilously close to spilling over before thankfully settling at the top.
But my woes didn’t end there, the hot tin slipped out of my hands as I took the it from the oven and landed upside down onto the bench dumping out half my cake as it fell. That was the last straw. I just pushed the mess back together, poured the hot syrup over the broken pieces and left it for a good 12 hour to cool.
This morning, having regained my aplomb, I managed to extract a complete slice to photograph, proof that this recipe is worth making. The texture is light and moist, the flavour fresh and lemony although I found the rosemary very subtle. My rosemary is still young and soft, leaves from an older woodier bush would given a more assertive flavour.
With apologies and kudos to both Diana Henry and Sophie Grigson the originators of this cake recipe, it’s a miraculous and truly delicious cake.
Lemon and Rosemary Syrup Cake
40g soft breadcrumbs (I used a slice of spelt sourdough trimmed of crusts, but GF would work well)
15g dry breadcrumbs gluten free
100g ground almonds (skin on OK)
2 teaspoons rosemary leaves, washed and dried
200g castor sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
190g melted butter, slightly cooled (or olive oil)
4 large eggs
syrup:
Juice of 2 lemons
180g castor sugar
1/4 cup water
3 sprigs of rosemary
Preheat the oven to 170C. Butter the inside of a savarin mould and lightly dust with flour.
Put the breadcrumbs almonds sugar rosemary and baking powder into the jug of a food processor then blitz until the mixture is very fine.
Whisk the eggs and lemon zest into the cooled butter, then with the processor running add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients and process until well combined.
Pour the butter into the savarin mould and bake until a skewer comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
Carefully tip the cake onto a plate and spoon over the hot syrup.
Allow to cool before cutting.
syrup:
Combine the juice, water sugar and sprigs of rosemary in a small pan.
Place over a low heat and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar is melted.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Strain to remove the rosemary.
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27 comments on “Lemon and Rosemary Syrup Cake”
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Please Pass the Recipe by Sandra Gay is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Please Pass the Recipe 
Ah, those days. But what a tops sounding recipe and delicious looking slice of goodness.
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Thanks, makes you appreciate the good days …
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Citrus and rosemary and almond together in one cake. This is my kind of ménage à trois, Sandra. It looks as good as it sounds, even if you had to travel through hell to get it on a plate. Well done!
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Yep, but I survived!
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Been there, too.
5 minutes sounds a bit short for rosemary steeping. I’d turn off the heat and leave it until the rosemary flavor is the way I like it, 10-15 minutes.
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Thanks for the advice
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It looks delicious, but my oh my what a day. I’ve had a few of those myself.
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It was a doozy! Glad when it was over
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Oh, I love herbs in cake. Lovely.
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Thanks…
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Oh no! I think we’ve all had ‘those’ kind of days and when the mistakes happen in the kitchen it’s a real bummer. However, this one slice you’ve managed to salvage looks perfect.I’d never know it came from a ‘floor cake’ unless you mentioned it. Well done 😉
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Thanks Jess, it was the day from hell but The cake and I survived.
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This is what’s known in our house as ‘floor cake’, an item that requires instant eating and no messing about with slices, just save what you can! I’ve made floor cake more times than I care to remember, so it’s reassuring that I’m not alone. Love the combination of lemon and rosemary, and you’ve given me an excellent use for my GF bread scraps!
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It’s a really delicious recipe Kate, hold on tight to the tin…
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Hi Sandra, I am glad it is not only me who has bad days in the kitchen. I have about 50kgs of lemons on my verandah, if you want to make another cake 🙂
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I wish I was closer Glenda I’d be there in a heartbeat for lemons and soap….
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Reblogged this on Chef Ceaser.
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At least you were able to salvage some of the cake, and what a beautiful slice it is. The lemon and rosemary combination sounds fantastic.
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None has gone to waste. The messy bit’s already gone, scooped into a bowl and eaten with a spoon.
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Oh no. I can empathise with off-days in the kitchen. It still looks delicious though! Very moist x
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Thanks Jade, the cake is super moist. Here’s to happy baking days
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Lovely recipe! I’ve made DH’s version with olive oil, but I like your butter one better. Despite everything you managed one beautiful cake. It is a lesson for all of us not to despair when having one of *those* days that visit us from time to time. Glad the cake turned out well.
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Thanks Debi. The cake is delicious, I will make it again but I think I’ll stick with using butter, it just seems the best choice to me. Loving DH’s books!
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You did well to salvage your efforts, sometimes it’s just like that. What a great cake, worth saving, made with simple backyard & pantry ingredients. I must try it when we get home. Lemon cakes are my favourite. I bet the broken bits tasted lovely too 🍋
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It’s a cake worth making Dale, deliciously moist and lemony
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Oh, poor you. I have been there, quite a few times–got the t-shirt, as they say. This cake sounds/looks awesome, though. Beautiful photo. As it happens I have the last of this year’s lemon crop in the fridge and some fresh rosemary sprigs on the bench, from trimming the rosemary bushes… Do you think it’s a sign??? Thanks for the inspiration, Sandra.
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It is a sign Ardys, it’s a deliciously moist cake. Hope your cooking session runs a bit more smoothly than mine did.
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