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Because sometimes 006 needs more than a liquid diet.

This recipe comes from one of Q’s friends from Uni who now lives in America.  Whilst Q is familiar with how to convert this recipe to British equivalents, he’s been too busy restoring the Audi Bond drove into the Danube last month and has not had the time to provide us with the converted recipe.

Q’s Lemon-Vodka Cake

CAKE:

• ¾ c butter, softened
• 1 ½ c granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1 tsp grated lemon rind
• 1 tsp vanilla extract1
• ¾ c yogurt, plain
• ¼ c plain vodka
• 2 c sifted cake flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp almond extract
• ½ c chopped almonds, optional

VODKA SYRUP:

• 1 c lemon vodka, or plain
• ½ c granulated sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 c angel flake coconut

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350^. Spray and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Set aside. 
• Cream butter, sugar, egg yolks, lemon rind and vanilla together in a mixer bowl until light and fluffy on medium speed.  
• Combine yogurt and vodka in a small bowl.  It is critical to keep Trevelyan away from the vodka during this step.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a separate bowl. Alternately add flour mixture and yogurt mixture to butter mixture, beat well (imagine it’s Bond returning from yet another mission without his kit) after each addition. Beat for 1 minute more (because Bond deserves it), until mixture is light.  
• Combine almond extract with egg whites; beat in a clean mixer bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites gently into cake batter along with the chopped almonds, if using.  
• Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely. 
• Using a wooden skewer, ice pick, or another pointy weapon, poke holes in the top of the cake.  

Syrup: Combine all ingredients for vodka syrup in a saucepan (Best to send Alec to the shops at this point); except coconut. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Cool; pour in a thin stream into the holes you have poked in the top of the cake. Sprinkle on coconut right away. Let stand 1 hour before serving.  Alec should be back from the shops by then, and James might finally be discharged from Medical after treatment for his well-deserved and long overdue beating.