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Limonnyi Tort
Lemon Cake
Limonnyi Tort
A tart lemon filling is sandwiched between the layers of this wonderfully fragrant loaf. Thinly sliced and served with a cold fruit souffle, it makes an excellent ending to a light meal.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon dried yeast
4 tablespoons warm milk
1 tablespoon sugar
9½ oz (265 g) flour
1 egg
8 oz (225 g) butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
Filling
1 whole lemon
8 oz (225 g) sugar
Glaze
2 oz (60 g) icing sugar
1 tablespoon hot water
¼ teaspoon vanilla essence
Curls of lemon rind
Tiny raspberries or strawberries
Details
Serves: 12
Method
Dissolve the yeast in the milk; gradually add 1 tablespoon sugar and ½ oz (15 g) flour. Cover; leave to sit in a warm place for 1 hour, until bubbly.
Stir in the egg, butter and remaining flour. The dough will be very soft. Place it in a greased bowl and leave to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Cut the whole lemon into eighths and remove any pips. Then, in a food processor or mincer, grind the lemon, including the rind. Stir in the 8 oz (225 g) sugar and set aside.
Generously grease a large baking tray. When the dough has risen, knock it back. Then take two-thirds of the dough and press or roll it out into a circle 7 in (17.5 cm) in diameter, flouring it lightly from time to time to make it more manageable, if necessary. Place the circle of dough on the baking tray. Pinch the edges of the circle up all the way around, making a rim high enough to contain the lemon filling. Pour in the filling. Press or roll the remaining dough into a circle 6 in (15 cm) in diameter which will fit over the lemon filling, covering it completely and meeting the outer rim of the larger circle. Pinch the edges of the top and bottom layers of dough together to seal.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Leave the cake to rise for about 20 minutes, then bake it for 25 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove the cake from the oven. While it is still warm swirl the glaze over it, which has been made by combining the icing sugar, hot water and vanilla essence. After about 20 minutes carefully transfer the cake to a rack to continue cooling. Serve at room temperature, decorated with tiny berries along the seam of the cake and lemon curls on top.
Note:- In spite of the yeast, this is a rather flat cake, about 1 in (2.5 cm) high.
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