Lemon and marzipan drizzle cake and a dull season premiere

Because of the fantastic Top of the Lake I began watching Mad Men again – I guess I missed the lovely Peggy Olson. :)

Three episodes into the sixth season and to me the show has really lost its sparkle – I don’t remember a season premiere as dull as that, and why on earth make it last that long if there was nothing interesting in it (the people behind it should take lessons from the people behind the season premiere of Hannibal). I will go on with Mad Men out of curiosity – I want to know how things will be managed for the show finale – but it won’t be a priority, for sure: Dr. Lecter is back, Sons of Anarchy is very interesting and there are still a couple of episodes left with one of my favorite villains of all time – yes, Mad Men can definitely wait. :)

There was something in my fridge that couldn’t wait, though: the marzipan left from this cake had to be used soon since it lasts in the fridge for only one month. I ended up making two delicious recipes with it and one of them was this lemon cake: moist, moreish, tasty, it gets even better the day after it is made – if it lasts that long. :)

Lemon and marzipan drizzle cake
slightly adapted from here

1 cup (225g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (225g) granulated sugar
finely grated zest of 3 lemons
juice of 1 lemon
150g marzipan, chopped into small chunks (about 1cm/½in squares) – I used homemade
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (150g) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup (100g) ground almonds

Drizzle:
juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons Amaretto (optional)
4 tablespoons granulated sugar (cut to 3 if omitting the Amaretto)

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter a deep 20cm (8in) round cake pan, line the bottom with a circle of baking paper and butter the paper as well.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then add the lemon zest and juice, and the marzipan pieces – try to keep them separate so they don't stick together.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture will probably curdle because of the lemon juice – don't worry, it will come back together when the flour is added. Beat in the vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, stir through the ground almonds, and beat briefly until smooth.

Transfer the mix to the cake pan, level the top and bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, before turning the oven down to 170°C, and baking for a further 50 minutes*. Cover the top of the cake with foil if it begins to look too dark, but only after it's been cooking for 30 minutes.
About 5 minutes before the end of cooking time, make the drizzle: put the lemon juice and Amaretto in a small saucepan and heat until steaming. Stir through the sugar and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. When the cake is cooked, pierce it all over with a skewer and gradually pour over the syrup, waiting for the cake to absorb it before pouring more. Once all the liquid has been absorbed, cool the cake completely in the pan. Carefully unmold, remove the paper and invert it onto a serving plate.

The cake can be kept in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

* I baked the cake at 180°C/350°F the whole time, total of 60 minutes

Serves 8-10