Lemon curd cake with olive oil shortbread

On Wednesdays and Saturdays, people often gather in Noto at the small organic farmer’s stand, which is set up on a large parking lot on the outskirts of town. Fresh vegetables and fruits are piled up in wooden crates around the stand. In the winter months, there are plenty of citrus fruits, many still with leaves and small twigs attached. The lemons are large, wrinkled, but beautiful. “Perfetti per una torta al limone,” you sometimes hear the farmer’s wife say. Regularly, I find sunny yellow lemons in my basket – along with a few tips from her on the best ways to use them.

When I return to my kitchen to prepare this recipe, it smells just like on the market. Lemon cake with olive oil shortbread, crumbly and wonderfully lemony – a little piece of Sicily at home. Juicy, fragrant, sunny. And with every bite, I taste the South.

Ingredients

For the shortbread base

• 125 g all-purpose flour (Type 405)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch or potato starch
• 30 g powdered sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 75 ml extra virgin olive oil (for example from il circolo)
• Optional: 1 tbsp ground almonds (for extra crumbly texture)

For the lemon layer

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 200 g sugar
• 80 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice and 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest from 2 untreated medium-sized lemons
• ½ tsp vanilla extract or 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 15 g all-purpose flour (Type 405)

Powdered sugar for serving

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (conventional heat) or 160°C (fan oven).
2. Line a baking pan (about 24 cm in diameter) with parchment paper.
3. For the shortbread base, combine the flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, salt (and almonds, if using) in a bowl.
4. Add the olive oil and mix with a spoon or your fingers until you have a crumbly dough. Important: Do not mix or knead for too long, the dough should remain crumbly.
5. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan, creating a loose base.
6. Pre-bake in the hot oven for 15-18 minutes until the edges are lightly golden.
7. While the base is baking, prepare the lemon layer. In a bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolk with the sugar until frothy.
8. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, baking powder, and flour. Mix well until the batter is smooth.
9. Pour the mixture onto the hot, pre-baked base and bake for another 18-22 minutes, until the lemon layer is set and slightly golden. The center should still wobble slightly but not be liquid.
10. Let the cake cool completely (you can also place it in the fridge briefly) and dust with sifted powdered sugar just before serving.