Lemon rice and polenta cake

500g (2¼ cups) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

450 g (2¼ cups) caster (superfine) sugar

grated zest of 4 lemons

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

6 eggs

550g (5½ cups) ground almonds

220g (2 cups) polenta

100 g (1½ cup) rice or maize (corn) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon salt icing (confectioner’s) sugar, to decorate

Preheat the oven to 160ºC/ 325ºF/Gas Mark 3. Butter eight individual tins and line the bases with parchment paper.

Beat the butter and caster sugar till they are very light and creamy, and add the lemon zest and juice and the vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition.

Mix together the ground almonds, polenta, rice or maize flour, baking powder and salt and fold into the mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins and bake for about 35 – 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre of one the cakes comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and cool the cakes in their tins before taking them out.

Sift some icing sugar over the cakes.

Serves 8