You will need:
FOR THE CAKE:
175g butter, softened
175g caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 lemons
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
FOR THE LEMON DRIZZLE:
150g icing sugar
50ml lemon juice
Recipe for Success
Make your lemon drizzle cake even more moist and tangy.
Split it into two layers and spread a generous amount of lemon curd over the top of the first layer.
Equipment
20cm (8in) round tin
Mixing bowl and electric mixer
Zester and juicer
Wooden and metal spoon
Sieve
Small pan
Fork or skewer
For a cake that’s a winning combination of sweet, tart and tasty, look no further than this deliciously lemony recipe – your guests will find it quite hard to resist!
Lemon drizzle cake makes such a light, fresh and tangy treat, it’s sure to have everyone coming back for a second slice. Follow the
Steps below to discover how to make it, then get some inspiration for a variety of tasty toppings on the opposite page.
Preheat your oven to gas mark 4/180oC/350oF and lightly grease your cake tin.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy.
Stir the beaten eggs into the mixture and mix together well.
Zest two lemons and juice one of them. Add the zest and the juice to the mixture and stir.
Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold them into the mixture, making sure everything is well combined.
Spoon the mixture into your cake tin and place in the oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the cake is golden and springy to the touch.
While the lemon sponge is still hot, either in the tin or on a serving plate, prick the top of the cake all over using a fork or skewer.
Finish by slowly pouring lemon drizzle syrup all over the top of the cake until it is completely absorbed. (For instructions, seeTasty Toppings, right.)
Tasty Toppings
Lemon drizzle syrup is so easy to make and tastes so good, it’s easy to forget that there are other equally flavoursome alternatives out there. Here’s how to make the perfect lemon syrup, plus two other simple but inspiring ideas that will help finish off your lemon sponge in luscious style.
Classic lemon drizzle gives your cake a sticky, sweet finish with a tart, crunchy bite on top, making a pleasant contrast to the softness of the sponge beneath. To make the drizzle, simply heat the icing sugar and lemon juice in a small pan, stirring the mixture regularly – don’t let it boil. After about three minutes, it will become a clear syrup that’s ready to pour over your cake.
Lemon royal icing works brilliantly, too. Like drizzle, the lemon cuts through the sweetness of the sugar. It also gives your cake a more formal finish. Make up some stiff peak royal icing using lemon juice, and water it down to a soft peak consistency using more lemon, rather than water. Smear it thickly over the top of the cake using a knife. Give the topping an extra lemon boost by sprinkling grated zest over the top.
Lemon buttercream is another fresh, citrus alternative, which works particularly well on lemon cupcakes or as a cake filling. To make it, substitute the vanilla extract in Issue 1’s buttercream recipe with the grated zest of one lemon, mixed in well. If you prefer an even stronger lemon flavour, also substitute a tablespoon of water in the original recipe with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Expert Tip
To create the pretty cake topping shown on above, pare thin strips of zest from a lemon and shape into twists. Scatter them over the top of your cake with some candied peel and
a handful of fresh flowers.
