Lemon and Rose Geranium Drizzle Cake

I first tasted sweet geranium whilst at Ballymaloe, where they tended to use it in fruity compotes, but hadn't come across it since, until, upon unearthing an overgrown pot of the stuff in the garden, I have been enthusiastically throwing it into everything. 

Geranium is usually found in cosmetics, and much like rose and lavender, can give its subject a distinctly soapy flavour. Used with care it lends a subtle lemony perfume to a good pud, and particularly complements this buttery, lemon drizzle cake.

This went down a storm - the six of us scoffed it in a record time of 20 minutes. One person, who will remain nameless, had five helpings. And, as a bonus, it is also gluten free.

Lemon and Rose Geranium Drizzle Cake

Serves 6-8

270g unsalted butter
270g caster sugar
270g ground almonds
130g polenta (quick cook)
4 eggs
2tsp baking powder
zest and juice of 3 lemons
4 tbsp caster sugar
large handful of sweet or rose geranium leaves & extra for decoration

Crystallised Geranium leaves:

Brush some clean geranium leaves with egg white, sprinkle with caster sugar and leave to dry. 

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a cake tin.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix the almonds, polenta and baking powder together in a separate bowl.

Slowly beat in the egg, interchanging it with spoonfuls of the almond mixture to avoid curdling.

Stir in the lemon zest. Spoon into the prepared cake tin. Bake for an hour or so. To see if it is cooked, touch the top and it should spring back and not make a bubbling sound.

For the syrup:

Mix the lemon juice with the sugar, may need more sugar depending on the tartness of your lemons, so adjust to taste. Simmer in a pan for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved and it has a syrupy consistency. Stir in the generous handful of geranium leaves and leave to infuse. 

When the cake is ready, drain the syrup. Pierce the top of a cake with a skewer, and pour over the syrup. Leave the cake to cool, turn out of the tin and decorate with edible flower petals and crystallised geranium leaves.