Last time I went shopping, I bought some lemons with the intention of doing something fancy with them like a tarte au citron or cheesecake. But I forgot I bought them and then, being a bit lazy, decided that lemon drizzle cake would work equally well. This recipe originally comes from Tana Ramsey and is very difficult to get wrong! Unlike the Asda ones Siany tried...You will need:
- 225g unsalted butter (or baking margarine)
- 225g caster sugar
- 225g self-raising flour
- 4 eggs
- Zest of 1 or 2 lemons
- Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
- 85g caster sugar
Now make it!
1. Cream the sugar and butter together until it's pale, creamy and a bit fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time. Sift in the flour and tip in the zest and mix until it's all combined. If you want your cake to be more lemony then add more zest and a splash of the lemon juice.
2. Put into the tin, smooth the top and put in the oven for 45-50 mins. You can see if it's done if you poke a knife in and it comes out clean.
3. Once it's done, leave it to cool in the tin and make the drizzle by mixing the lemon juice and sugar. While the cake is till warm, prick the top with a fork and slowly pour over the drizzle so it sinks into the holes. Once the cake has cooled, the juice will have soaked into the cake and the sugar will have formed a crust.
4. Eat! Best served with a cup of tea and, if you're feeling particularly decadent, some whipped cream.
Mmmmm I love lemon drizzle cake. It knocks spots off plain sponge any day in my book. Which Tana Ramsey book is it? (Just took one back to library, sod's law that's where it was from!)
ReplyDeleteMmm, this looks delicious. I love lemon drizzle cake. Jamie Oliver also does a yummy one with ground almonds in it, obviously not so good for nut allergies, but good on the whole lomon + drizzle front!
ReplyDeleteI've made that cake loads of times! It's fabulous, a real winner.
ReplyDeleteSarah - I found it through the BBC Good Food site so not sure which book it's in.
ReplyDeleteShould have said I got it from BBC Good Food Mag, I think xmas 2007.
ReplyDeleteThis looks great, but I've never really got on with lemon cake. I'll have to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteOoh! I made a variant of this for the sluttery tea yesterday. The recipe I used told me to melt the sugar and butter together though instead of creaming it so I'm curious to know how different it would have come out!
ReplyDeleteI'd already tried a version with demarera sugar (dense and gooey) and one with caster (light and spongey, but drier) so now I might have to make a third just to complete my investigations.
Baking is such a scientific process - it's like chemisty lessons all over again sometimes.
I made this! Cake shape not loaf shaped.
ReplyDeleteBUT, when I tasted the mixture it needed more lemon (and seemed very dry) so I put the juice of half a lemon in it.
I also substituted some of the sugar in the drizzle with a teaspoon of honey, and made sure it soaked in well by using a skewer to make the holes in the top.
I then made some icing with icing sugar and some lemon juice (instead of water) and put a really thin layer on top. Decorated with a sprinkle of zest!
It is amazing! really moist and the sugar in the drizzle is nice and crunchy. :)
In my humble opinion the cake could be even more lemony and more amazing, next time I'm gonna put even more lemon juice in I think!
Made this on the weekend! I only had three large eggs and the recipe worked just as well.
ReplyDeleteNext time I'm going to put a bit more lemon zest in the mixture. Also trying to work out how I can get that delicious lemon topping to coat the bottom and sides of the cake too!
OK I am just away to try this for my Stampin Up party tonight as I have lost the failsafe recipe I had....xx
ReplyDelete