Preheat the oven to 350°F, gas mark 4, 180°C (160°C fan-assisted).
Cream together the butter and sugar, add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until roughly blended (do not over-beat as you do not want to incorporate too much air).
Add the fine cornmeal, baking powder, ground almonds, and if you are using a food processor make sure you wipe the sides of the bowl during the mixing.
Add the juice and zest of one lemon, and mix together until smooth.
Line the base of a non-stick 20cm springform cake tin with parchment paper, spoon the mixture in, level out and bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
To make the syrup drizzle, place the lemon zest and juice in a small saucepan together with the icing sugar and water bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes then reduce to a simmer for 3 minutes to reduce the consistency to a syrup.
After 30 minutes remove the cake from the oven, let it cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
Pierce the cake with a fine skewer or tooth pick making a about 20 small holes.
Pour the syrup through a sieve into a small bowl, then using a large spoon carefully pour the syrup over the cake (keep the rind as a garnish).
Loosen the springform tin and leave for 20 minutes while the cake absorbs the syrup.
Release the cake from the tin, and serve.
(Recipe: Lisa Roukin. Image: David Munns)