The Raspberry, Lemon & Almond Cake Guests Keep Asking Me For
- Kristy Plumridge
- 2d
- 5 min read
If you've stayed at The Ridge House for a special occasion, there's a fair chance this cake has found its way onto the kitchen table.
It isn't a birthday cake. It isn't reserved for anniversaries. It's simply the cake I love to bake whenever guests are celebrating something worth slowing down for. Sometimes it's a birthday, sometimes it's a reunion of old friends, and sometimes it's just because a homemade cake somehow makes a weekend in the country feel even more special.
A few weeks ago, I received an email that made me smile.
"Thanks again for hosting us and for the beautiful cake. We'd love the recipe if you're happy to share it. I'll pass it around to everyone who stayed with us because we were all talking about it." Guy & Leanda, guests at The Ridge House
Of course I said yes.
Sharing recipes feels a little like sharing hospitality. If someone has taken the time to gather around a table at The Ridge House in West Gippsland, I'd love a small part of that weekend to continue long after they've driven home.
From Green Hills Farm to The Ridge House
Long before this cake became something I baked for guests, it was one of the recipes I shared through Green Hills Farm.
Back then it was simply another way to encourage people to cook with seasonal produce. Over time, though, The Ridge House has found its own identity, and this cake has naturally become part of the experience of staying here.
When I bake it, the lemons almost always come from the tree at Green Hills Farm. The fruit changes with the seasons.
In summer it might be strawberries picked from our 20-metre strawberry patch. We freeze plenty each year, so even in winter there are often strawberries waiting in the freezer.
Autumn usually brings raspberries.
Later in the year it could be plums or apples from the orchard. I love that the recipe stays the same while the seasons quietly leave their mark on it.
The Raspberry, Lemon & Almond cake for a guest to celebrate their birthday. Recipe works well in a round tin.
Why this cake has become a Ridge House favourite
I'm much more of a savoury cook than I am a precise baker. Give me herbs from the garden, good olive oil and something bubbling away in a cast-iron pot and I'm very happy. Baking often asks you to be far more disciplined than I naturally am.
That's probably why I love this recipe so much. It's wonderfully forgiving.
The ingredients are simple, it comes together quickly and it's one of those recipes that always seems to impress people far more than the effort it takes to make.I don't think anyone has ever been disappointed to discover a homemade cake waiting on the kitchen bench.
It's also one of those recipes that happily adapts to whatever you need. If you're baking for someone who is gluten free, simply substitute the self-raising flour with a gluten-free self-raising flour. I've made it this way many times and it works beautifully. Nothing else needs to change.
Most often I bake it as a tray cake because it's easy to slice and share with a group gathered around the table. If you'd prefer a traditional round cake, simply pour the mixture into a round cake tin and continue baking for a little longer. I usually check it every five minutes after the original cooking time. The old skewer test never fails. Insert a skewer into the centre and, if it comes out clean, it's ready.
The recipe is also very forgiving when it comes to fruit. Raspberries are my favourite because they pair so beautifully with lemon and almond, but don't feel limited by what's written on the page. Strawberries, blueberries, sliced plums, apricots and even thinly sliced apples all work wonderfully.
That's probably my favourite way to cook.
Rather than asking, "What ingredients do I need?" I prefer asking, "What's in season?"
Cooking that way somehow feels slower. More connected. More generous.
Perhaps that's why homemade food always tastes a little different.
It carries the story of where it came from.
Raspberry, Lemon & Almond Cake
Serves 12
Ingredients
150g unsalted butter, softened
150g caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
90g self-raising flour
Good pinch of sea salt
110g almond meal
250g raspberries (or your favourite seasonal fruit)
Method
Preheat your oven to 180°C fan-forced and line a 30cm baking tray with baking paper.
Combine the flour, almond meal and salt in a bowl.
Beat the butter, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Fold through the dry ingredients until just combined.
Scatter half the fruit into the base of the tray, spoon the batter over the top, then finish with the remaining fruit.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through, until lightly golden and cooked through.
Cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Dust generously with icing sugar and serve with softly whipped cream and extra berries if you have them.
DOWNLOAD PDF OF THE RECIPE
A little piece of The Ridge House
One of my favourite moments as a host is walking into the kitchen to find guests gathered around the table. Someone is making coffee, someone has cut another slice of cake, and everyone is talking over each other about what to do that afternoon.
Those are the moments I hope people remember.
If this cake reminds you of a weekend at The Ridge House, then I'm delighted.
If you've never stayed with us, perhaps this recipe will bring a little taste of West Gippsland into your own kitchen.
Planning a stay at The Ridge House?
The Ridge House is a four-bedroom country home on 50 acres of private bushland in Yarragon, West Gippsland. Homemade cakes, seasonal produce from Green Hills Farm and warm country hospitality are all part of what makes a stay here feel different.
If you're celebrating something special during your stay, just ask about adding one of my homemade seasonal cakes. I'd be delighted to have one waiting for you when you arrive.
Continue Exploring Gippsland
If you enjoyed this story, you might also like:
Dinner on the Farm. Discover our farmhouse dinners and Gippsland cheese boards.
What Makes The Ridge House a True Farm Stay The story of Green Hills Farm and the produce that finds its way to your table.
The Story Behind The Ridge House. How a tired farmhouse became our country home.
Kristy's Countryside Day Trip. My favourite drive through South Gippsland, with bakeries, waterfalls and hidden gems.
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