Lemon-Cornmeal Cake

Ingredients

• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan
• ½ cup milk
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 ½ cups raw almonds, finely chopped
• 1 cup natural cane sugar
• 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon coarse salt
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil a 9-inch springform pan. In a bowl, combine milk and lemon juice; let stand until thickened, about 5 minutes.
2. 2
   In a food processor, pulse almonds, cane sugar, and zest until finely ground. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add oil, eggs, and almond extract to milk mixture, and whisk until combined. Stir into cornmeal mixture.
3. 3
   Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until cake is golden and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Unmold and dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving. (Cake can be kept, covered, at room temperature up to 2 days.)