Born in the United Kingdom, Linda Peek is a successful writer, blogger and businesswomen. She has been involved in international diplomacy through her husband’s dedicated work as an Australian diplomat. She and her family have lived in Switzerland, Israel, Malaysia, South Africa, Chile, France and Denmark, with postings in Canberra, Australia in between. While living in Chile, she served as the Food Editor for an English newspaper, writing a popular weekly column called “The Good Life.” She was also a member of the Circle of Gastronomic Writers of Chile and a food judge.
Since 2011 Linda has been writing about her favorite foods at her weekly blog Café Cat. She and her husband now live in Canberra. They have three children, and more recently, six grandchildren. “Our last posting was Copenhagen where we arrived two days before the engagement of Danish Crown Prince Frederik André Henrik Christian to a young Australian girl named Mary Donaldson that Frederik had met while attending the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. They married on May 14, 2004 at the Copenhagen Cathedral, and we attended all events leading up to and including their wedding. It was a truly amazing experience and time,” says Linda. (King Frederik and Queen Mary now have four children: Christian, Isabella, Vincent and Josephine, and Linda stays in touch with their family.)
“When we lived in Copenhagen, we were served lemon cake by the locals. I came home with this special recipe from a Danish friend called Hanne, whom I met at the dog park. Sadly, Hanne is no longer with us, but I still make her delicious lemon and almond cake. My local supermarket sells 8 oz. packets of marzipan in the baking section. We don’t like things too sweet, so I only make half the icing recipe. If you’re feeling indulgent, serve this cake with a dollop of fresh whipped cream,” she adds.
From left to right, Australian Ambassador Matthew Peek, his wife, Linda Peek, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark (now King Frederik X), and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (now Queen), Copenhagen 2004. (Photo courtesy of Linda Peek)Ingredients:
1 cup almonds (blanched or not)
8 oz. (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
8 oz. (1 cup) sugar
8 oz. (1 cup) marzipan
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla essence (equivalent to a 2-inch vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lemon
Icing:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons boiling water
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place almonds in the food processor and process until they look like fine breadcrumbs. Set aside.
Place butter (cut into pieces) and sugar in the food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the marzipan. When thoroughly incorporated add the eggs, vanilla, and lastly the sifted flour, baking powder, ground almonds, salt and lemon juice.
Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan or any pan of your choice. (Linda uses a fluted cake pan and sprays it with canola oil, but an ordinary round cake pan lined with baking paper will do.) Scrape the cake mixture into the pan, then bake for 45 minutes, or until well-risen and golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Ovens vary so it may take a bit longer, but do not overcook.
Cool the cake, remove it from the pan, then spread with the icing, allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Garnish with the lemon slices, fresh or glacé.
To make the icing, sift confectioners’ sugar in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and one or two tablespoons of boiling water -– enough to make a thick but spreadable consistency.
Note: Photo shows cake with only half the icing recipe.
Serves 12
You may be interested in Linda Peek’s recently published book: Malta: A Childhood Under Siege, about her mother who grew up in Malta during WWII. Linda used her mother’s voice to tell the stories she grew up listening to as a child, as well as her grandfather’s wartime diary:
Margaret Staples was nine years old at the beginning of 1939 when her father, Sam Staples, was posted to Malta with the Royal Engineers. Enjoying blue skies and balmy weather; Margaret and her four siblings thought they were in paradise.
When Italy entered the War, everything changed.
For details on Malta: A Childhood Under Siege, including where to buy it, go to: https://woodlandspublishing.au/malta-a-childhood-under-siege/
Or see: https://www.amazon.com/Malta-Childhood-Under-Siege-Linda/dp/0645876100
For a recent interview with Linda Peek about her new book, go to: https://ramonaportelli.com/2024/09/interview-with-author-linda-peek/
Also see: https://timesofmalta.com/article/new-book-explores-family-resilience-wwii.1093242
Also see: https://ramonaportelli.com/2024/09/interview-with-author-linda-peek/
For this recipe, see: https://cafecat.com.au/danish-lemon-almond-cake/
For Linda’s recipe blog, go to: https://cafecat.com.au/
Connect at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecafecat
Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_cafecat
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/the_cafecat/
Also see:
https://www.facebook.com/linda.peek.author
For Linda’s cake, scones, donuts, and muffin recipes, see: https://cafecat.com.au/?s=cake&submit=Search
Subscribe to receive a new recipe from Linda in your e-mail every Wednesday, go to: https://cafecat.com.au/subscribe/
© 2025 Linda Peek. All rights reserved.
The post Café Cat’s Danish Lemon and Almond Cake appeared first on The Armenian Mirror-Spectator.
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