A Most Delicious Fail #virtualteaparty2020

Finished cake in silicone pan. Recipe called for a springform pan, which I don’t have (yet!).

I’ve long wanted to make to make a lemon and almond flour cake like this. When a friend posted a link to a recipe for just such a delight on her Facebook page, I was all over it like white on rice. The recipe is called Nonna’s Limoncello and Ricotta Almond Cake, and is gluten-free. I drew up a shopping list on my To-Do app, and I was off to the races!

My first hurdle was not being able to source a spring-form pan at the Superstore. I was so convinced I’d be able to find one there – I even had it in my mind that I had seen said pan there – yet there were none to be found. So I had to come up with a work-around and decided I would use my recently purchased silicone cake pan, instead. Which worked perfectly well, even though it was a bit of a process getting the cake transferred from the pan to a pretty plate.

So far, so good!

I excitedly put the kettle on. I poured myself a delicious cup of English Breakfast, and remembered to take another photo before digging into my Instagram-worthy beauty of a cake.

Setting a delicious scene

And then, this happened.

Eeeek!

I know exactly what I did wrong (well, I’m pretty sure I know) so that my cake would not hold together. It was thoroughly baked. I even added an extra 10 minutes of baking time (because my oven be that way) and when I took it from the oven it was already starting to pull away from the edges of the pan.

What I did was this: add extra liquid to the batter in the form of lemon juice. The recipe called for limoncello and lemon zest only. But I had read some of the comments – where at least one person remarked that it wasn’t lemony enough – and I was going to make damned sure this cake was lemoned up for the gods! So not only did I zest that lemon…I extracted its juice and threw it in the mixing bowl along with everything else.

Next version of this cake will still have the additional lemon juice added in – you can count on that. But I may omit the limoncello. Or add a bit of gluten-free flour, to balance the additional liquid.

There is definitely going to be another version of this cake. It will probably become a go-to recipe as it ticks all the boxes for a delicious dessert IMHO, and especially because it reminds me of my favourite Dutch almond filling for baked goods.

Thank you for joining me in this month’s Virtual Tea Party – hosted by Del and Su. It turned out to be a most delicious fail, and a fun one at that.

Rock on,

The WB

68 thoughts on “A Most Delicious Fail #virtualteaparty2020

  1. OMG – that cake looks delicious. The last photo also looks incredibly mouthwatering — the crumbliness simply adds to the appeal. Be forewarned: I am definitely inviting myself over for a taste of this cake the next time that you make it! 😀

  2. OMG, that sounds so good! I love anything with lemons in it. Did you make your own limoncello? I have both a springform pan and lemons growing on our tree so it’s practically made already!

    Thanks for sharing the recipe and your experience baking it. I’m with Donna… let me know that next time you make it. No silly border could keep me away.

    1. Alas, I do not have a lemon tree either so I purchased a bottle of limoncello. When you come for cake Janis, please bring a bottle of your homemade stuff so we can do a proper side-by side comparison! 😉 Thanks 💕

  3. AJ Blythe

    Add more lemon zest. It will lemon it up without the extra liquid. I’m going to have to give this one a go.Looks yummy. But I will substitute straight lemon juice for the limoncello 🙂 Actually, it will be lime for me ’cause that’s what our tree is. But the fruit is so yummy and juicy.

    Thanks for sharing the link to the recipe, Deb. And don’t worry about the crumbly, the taste is all that matters!

  4. If you lived a little closer, Deb, I would have let you borrow one of my spring-form pans. The cake still looks scrumptious! I am a big fan of lemon and I would have done the same as you. Delicious and fun is a great recipe! 😊

    1. That reminds me, TG, of a few years ago when I tried a custom milk shake that had a cupcake blended into it. It was delicious (through a straw) even though it probably took 6 months off my life 🤣. Thank you 💕

  5. Jean R.

    Your cake looks really yummy! And your work-around was genius. Can’t wait to see if you can improve on the texture aspect next time around. You are living my dream now because one of the things I’m looking forward to doing after I move is baking with a new oven.

    1. It always takes a while to figure out how a new oven is going to bake – mine is a little on the cooler side hence adding a few extra minutes over what the recipe calls for. Thanks, Jean 💕

  6. debscarey

    That looks gorgeous 🙂 I have no problem with it being crumbly as I’m an expert in the art of spilling my food everywhere already!

    1. Almond flour is not my favourite wheat alternative but it does add delicious flavour. If you’re an almond lover (and I am). I don’t think I am allergic to gluten per se, but there is something about wheat (North American, in particular) that gives me heartburn so it’s best for me to avoid it. Thanks, Maggie 💕

  7. I don’t own a springform pan either. It’s one of those things that I always feel like I will never use enough! With me being a minimalist, I feel on the fence owning one. Although that cake does look yummy, even without the springform pan. 🙂

    1. I’ve owned them in the past. (Note the plural: them!) It’s an item I buy then seldom use, then give away or donate when packing for a move. Then I come across a recipe I want to try and buy one again. And the cycle continues 🤣. I should probably think this one through as the silicone pan did a good job. Thanks, Kari 💕

  8. m2muse

    I’m for anything lemon as well. Trisha Yearwood’s Glazed Limoncello Cookies and Chef Ricardo’s Lemon Poppyseed Loaf are in steady rotation around here.

  9. You had me at lemon but I moved away at gluten free. My experiences there have not been good either taste or texture. Hopefully they come a long way since my last try. I make some great lemon cookies. In addition to lemon zest they call for lemon extract which pumps that flavor up! Don’t know why it’s crumbly but that wouldn’t turn me off. You can use a spoon and get all the goodness.

    1. I don’t see why this cake couldn’t be made with wheat flour. You’d have to add almond extract though, to get that delicious almond-y flavour. You’re the second person to mention lemon extract. I’ll have to give that a try. Thanks, Kate 💕

  10. I don’t own a springforrm pan, so now that I downsized I am generally going with the wilton six inch round pan (the equivalent of half a cake mix). I just put parchment in the bottom and it works. I would add more zest, even if you need to use the jarred kind.

    1. I put parchment in the bottom too, Barb. It helped to get the cake out later. I had to flip it onto a plate (now upside down) and then immediately flip it onto the desired plate (now right side up again). I did not know jarred zest was a thing you could buy. Thanks! 💕

  11. Ah what a great concept – a virtual tea party. Your cake looks delicious. You said it was crumbly but if it wasn’t dry that’s ok. Lemon anything is awesome! Enjoy the second attempt.

  12. Wow, looks great and I would’ve eaten at least two slices of it anyway! Italians make some delish cakes and yes, I agree with that Dutch almond filling in pastries… so good! What’s the next one gonna be?

  13. I LOVE a great lemon cake, Deb – HUGE THANK YOU’s for bringing this along to our tea!!! It might not look like your variation was a good ‘um, but we all sure gobbled it up as a taste champion! 🏅 You’ve contributed the best recipes! Will give this one a go myself. Without a spring-form or silicon pan it’s gonna be interesting to see how it turns out. I think I’ll try an old trick — after cake is cooled, will take a toothpick and make tiny holes around the top, then drizzle extra lemon juice and let it be absorbed that way. D’you think that would work?
    Again, delighted to have you and LOVED your cake!

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  15. This looks delicious Deb; and ticks all the boxes for me. I’d probably have done the same with the lemon juice (I just did in fact with some shortbread). A couple of extra spoons of flour will probably fix the problem next time. And it sounds like there will definitely be a next time 🙂

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  17. Well at least it does LOOK good. It looks delicious!! And I’m betting that even though it crumbled, it still tasted great and did NOT go to waste! Ha ha.

    But seriously, that is one of the reasons I gave up on baking. If one gets the measurements slightly off or omit something or add something, then who knows. Not like cooking where it is easier to be creative.

    Ben was surprisingly hooked on the British Baking show. Have you seen that? If not, it really is a treat to watch.

    Peta

  18. Deb, I think I will try making this cake. I love everything with almonds, almond flour, and almond paste. I also followed your link to how to make almond paste. Something else to try!

    Jude

  19. hilarymb

    Hi Deb – I know I’m very late to the party … but by now – there must be another cake ready to be eaten!!? Lemon cakes are just the best … and the crumbleness of it – oh no worries there – probably all the better for it … and perhaps you could have added a thick rich lemon yoghurt dessert topping … it’s time for tea here … but no cake to go with it – poor me … !! Well done … baking days are here again – have a good run up to the Christmas time … take care and enjoy life … Hilary

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    1. Well, that might have been an error in judgement on my part. 😉 Usually my go-to is add more booze, not leave it out. I’m not sure the limoncello adds to the lemon-ness of this recipe as much as it should. Could be better utilized “on the side”, to wash down the cake, instead. Thanks, Rivergirl 💕

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