Lemon cake with lime curd and pomegranate topping

This week’s recipe for a Lemon cake with lime curd and pomegranate topping comes from British food stylist Kate Wesson. If you can’t find lime curd where you live, you can always use the lemon curd recipe by Marjorie Taylor as a guideline to making your own. -Kristina

About Kate: : Initially, I undertook a course in Hospitality Business Management at Leeds Metropolitan in the UK. After completing this course I discovered my passion for food surpassed all other areas of what I had learnt. Shortly after college I found myself in the kitchen of various well-respected restaurants before moving on and establishing myself as a food stylist and recipe writer. Over the past 10 years I have refined my creative and technical skills and have worked on all aspects of food styling, which include recipe development, prop styling, home economy and food styling. The job of a food stylist is to make us drool and gobble up every last morsel on the plate; this is what I aim for! You can see my other work at my portfolio site.

(Food photography by Charlotte Tolhurst)

Lemon cake with lime curd and pomegranate topping
Preparation Time: 1 hr
Cooking Time: 35-40 mins
Serves: 6Ingredients:
45g (3 tbsp) butter plus a little extra for greasing
85 ml (6 tbsp) honey
30ml (2 tbsp) Agave syrup
Juice and zest of 2 lemons (set aside two tablespoons of lemon juice for later)
125g (1/2 cup) Ricotta cheese
140ml (1/4 pint) of milk140g
(1 cup) spelt flour
5g (1 tsp) baking powder
2 egg whites
60g (1/3 cup) semolina
Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
1 jar of lime curd
1 pomegranate
Zest of 1 lime for decoration (optional)

Method:

Oven temperatures in 190ºC/375ºF/Gas Mark

Preheat oven to 190ºC (375F), grease and line a 7/8-inch cake tin (18-20cm). Melt the butter in a pan, when the butter is melted add 60ml (4 tbsp ) of the honey, the agave syrup, juice and zest of lemons (all but the 2 tbsp you set aside) , milk and ricotta. Whisk the ingredients together, don’t worry if the mixture appears to curdle. Next sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl. Stir in the semolina. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Mix the liquids into the flours and then fold in the egg whites. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 35 to 40 mins until golden on top. Heat the remaining 25ml (2 tablespoons) honey and remaining lemon juice and prick the cake whilst still warm and pour over the honey and lemon juice. Allow the cake to cool fully and decorating by smearing the cake with the lime curd, creating attractive wave patterns and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and lime zest.

Read more at Design*Sponge http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/05/in-the-kitchen-with-kate-wessons-lemon-cake.html#ixzz0ptQlVTgo