Bean torta with walnuts and lemon

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Grease and line a 23cm round cake tin. Use a food processor to blend the beans and the maize meal/polenta/cornmeal into a smooth mixture, or beat well with an electric mixer.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the egg yolks, vanilla extract and 175g of the sugar together using an electric mixer until pale and creamy, then add it to the beans along with the lemon zest. Blend together thoroughly, then transfer to a large bowl and fold in the ground walnuts using a metal spoon.
3. In a clean mixing bowl and using clean, dry beaters, whisk the egg whites until stiff, then carefully fold them into the bean mixture using a metal spoon. Pour the mixture into the cake tin, then bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning the temperature down to 180°C/ 160°C fan/gas 4 after 20 minutes.
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4. While the cake is cooking, warm the lemon juice with the remaining 175g sugar in a saucepan until just heated through. When the cake is light brown on top and nicely risen, take it out of the oven and pour the lemon syrup over the surface, then allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes. As it cools, the topping will form a sweet-sharp and crunchy icing.

A recipe from Out of the Pod by Vicky Jones (£14.89; Ryland Peters & Small)