Lemon Almond Butter Cake

For the curd, combine zest, juice, sugar and eggs in a heatproof bowl and beat well. Add butter, and place over a saucepan full of simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mixture thickens into curd, about 5 minutes. Strain in a bowl, and press plastic wrap onto the surface to keep skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool, at least 1 1/2 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with 1 tablespoon butter, and dust with 1 tablespoon flour, shaking out excess.

With an electric mixer, cream the remaining butter and 1 cup sugar together until light and fluffy. Sift together the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir in. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until they start to foam. Do not overbeat or the cake will be tough. Add eggs and ground almonds to batter and mix well.

Scrape batter into the prepared pan. Drop 8 individual tablespoons of lemon curd around the perimeter of batter, leaving a 1-inch border around the outer edge and taking care to space the drops evenly. Drop 3 to 4 tablespoons curd into center of batter. Refrigerate remaining curd for another use.

Bake until cake is toasy brown on top and a toothpick inserted into cake (not curd) comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool on rack 10 minutes, then remove sides of pan, and cool completely.

Whip cream and offer on the side.