MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Almond and Lemon Syrup Cake with Violets or Heartsease
 Categories: British, Cakes, Nuts, Flowers
      Yield: 8 Servings
 
     45 g  Slightly stale breadcrumbs
    200 g  Caster sugar
    100 g  Ground almonds
    200 ml Oil
      4    Eggs
           Lemon zest; finely grated
  1 1/2 ts Baking powder
           FOR THE SYRUP:
      1 sm Lemon; juice of
     85 g  Sugar
    100 ml Water
      8    Fresh lavender flower
           - spikes
      1    Cinnamon stick
           Violets; heartsease, or
           - garden pansies
 
  Line the base of a 20 cm (8") cake tin with non-stick baking
  parchment and grease the sides. Mix the breadcrumbs with the
  sugar, almonds and baking powder. Add the oil and eggs and beat
  well. Stir in the lemon zest. Pour the mixture into the prepared
  cake tin. Put into a cold oven and set the heat to 190 C / 375 F /
  gas mark 5. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the cake is a rich brown
  and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool for 5
  minutes in the tin then turn out onto a plate.
  
  Make the syrup while the cake is cooking. Put all ingredients into
  a pan, and bring gently to the boil, stirring until the sugar has
  dissolved completely. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the lavender
  flowers and cinnamon if you wish. Pierce holes in the cake with a
  skewer while it is still warm and pour over the syrup. Leave to
  cool, spooning excess syrup back over every now and then until it
  is all soaked up. Serve with creme fraiche, whipped cream or
  mascarpone and possibly some sliced fresh fruit on the side.
 
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