Lemon Syrup Cake with Roasted Grapes
Photography Manja Wachsmuth.
It’s hard to go past a lovely moist lemon cake – and it’s even more divine when topped with syrupy roasted grapes and a dollop of cream.
INGREDIENTS
200 grams butter, very soft but not melted
200 grams caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 x #7 eggs (large), lightly beaten
2 tablespoons yoghurt
finely grated zest 1 large lemon
200 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
100 grams ricotta
Lemon syrup
¼ cup caster sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup water
To serve
Roasted grapes (recipe below)
mascarpone
20cm spring form cake tin, greased and base and sides lined with baking paper
Roasted Grapes
500 grams seedless red grapes
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Syrup: Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside.
Cake: Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until very light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs until well combined then beat in the yoghurt and zest.
Combine the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt and add to the batter along with the ricotta and beat gently to combine. Don’t over mix or the cake will be heavy.
Spoon into the tin and smooth the top.
Bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
When the cake comes out of the oven, spoon the syrup evenly over the top then leave to cool completely in the tin.
To serve: Place the cake on a serving plate and pile the grapes on top. Serve with the syrup and mascarpone. Makes 1 cake
Grapes: Cut the grapes into small clusters. Combine the sugar, honey and lemon juice in a baking dish. Add the clusters plus any loose grapes and turn to coat in the honey mixture. Roast for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until some of the grapes have started to pop open. Remove the grapes with a slotted spoon to a bowl and put the syrup in a jug for serving.
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