Prep. time: 30 minutes  
Soaking time: Several days 
Baking time: Under 30 minutes

1. Blanch the almonds the night before making the cake: drop them into boiling water until the skins loosen; plunge into a bowl of cold water and remove the skins.
2. Let the almonds soak in cold water overnight. The next day, dry them well with a kitchen towel, but do not dry them in the sun or the oven.
3. Blanch the citrus zests. Grind the almonds in a food processor or using a manual chopper, gradually adding in the zests.
4. Preheat the oven to 230° C (450° F). Grease a cake pan (either an ordinary pan or a springform pan), approximately 33 cm (13") in diameter and 7 cm (3") deep, with the lard and sprinkle with the flour.
5. Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks with the sugar and ground almonds in a food processor; beat the whites to stiff peaks, fold them into the yolk mixture and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Place in the oven, reduce the temperature to 150° C (300° F) and bake for 30 minutes. Check for doneness by poking a skewer into the centre of the cake: if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
7. Turn out onto a rack and let cool.

A sweet wine