Set your oven to gas 4/180c/160c fan
Butter and line a 7” cake tin.
Place the slices of lemon for the syrup and topping in a pan. Cover with water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Drain, place back in the pan and cover with 300ml water. Add the sugar, turmeric and saffron and bring to the boil. Cook for about 8 minutes until the peel is soft and the liquid reduced to a thickened syrup. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Using a fork, lift the slices out of the syrup and arrange them slightly overlapping on the base of the cake tin, taking them up the side as well. Spoon over 2 tablespoons of the syrup, reserve the rest for later.
For the cake, cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Stir in the eggs a little at a time. Fold in the almonds and turmeric; fold in the semolina, lemon zest, juice, salt and baking powder.
Spoon into the prepared tin and then bake for 15-20 minutes, turn the cake around and then bake for a further 10-15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
Invert the cake on to a plate, carefully remove the tin and peel away the paper. Drizzle the remaining syrup over the top.
Syrup and topping
For the Cake