Whole Lemon Cake

On our last visit to Paris, we could not resist and stop by one of our favorite bakeries; Pierre Hermé; known as one of the many great Pâtissiers in this glorious city. A note of caution is that you cannot go in on an empty stomach as you want to purchase everything in these beautiful jewel-like displays. The exceptional attention to details never cease to amaze and almost justifies the price of each of these haute couture baked goods. A great source of inspiration…m I take numerous pictures and come back with ideas of replicating some of these recipes. Here is one of them; Le Gâteau au Citron. This version is quick and easy to prepare with very few ingredients. Yes, it is not the classic version with butter and lemon zest, but in a pinch, it makes for a wonderful last minute dessert. I use the entire lemon and substitute butter with olive oil and yes, a blender. So, the whole process only takes just a few minutes to put together and with surprising results. Give it a try.

INGREDIENTS
1 Large Organic Lemon
3 Large Eggs at room temperature
1¾ cups All purpose flour sifted
3 Teaspoons Baking powder sifted
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Greek Yogurt
1 Cup Sugar

METHOD
Preheat your oven at 175 Celsius / 350 Fahreinheit
Butter and flour a large cake pan or as I do, three small baking pans.
It a blender, pour the whole lemon cut in quarters, yogurt, eggs and olive oil. Give it a good mix, long enough so the lemon has a puree texture with no lumps.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Pour half of the content in the blender and give a good mix. Pour the rest and give it a final mix. As simple as that. Pour the mixture in your pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until golden brown.