Whilst contemplating May’s coffee and cake offering, it only took one look out of the window at this beautiful sunshine to decide that it’s got to be something zesty and…well, Summery! So we’re going al-fresco with this fruity number.
We’ve all had enough of drizzle so I’m “re-branding” this old favourite as my Lemon Dazzle Cake. Whilst not guaranteed to get you beach-body ready, there’s enough lemon in here to count as one of your five-a-day, I reckon – so feel good about tucking into this slice of loveliness.
For the cake, you will need:
225g unsalted butter
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
Finely grated zest of one lemon
225g self-raising flour
For the lemon topping you will need:
Juice of 1 ½ lemons
85g caster
Start by switching the oven on whilst you get on with the serious stuff – fan oven to 180C or gas to 160C/gas mark 4. Whisk together 225g melted butter and 225g caster sugar to a pale yellow, creamy consistency.
Add the 4 eggs, one at a time into the mixture, folding in with a spatula, then sift in the flour, together with the zest of one of the lemons. Fold in together to get a bowlful of glorious lemony goo.
Pour your mixture into a pre-greased or grease-proof paper lined loaf tin and let it settle, before popping the tin into the oven.
At this point, if like me, you may wish to consider why you have used almost all of your kitchen utensils, and crack on with the washing up.
45-50 mins later your cake should be looking golden, crusty and…cake-like! If you don’t trust a purely visual appraisal, poke a skewer into it – the skewer should come out clean and free of mixture. Ha ha, and to think they turned me down for “Bake Off” – fools!
With the cake still cooling in the tin, take out any frustrations of the day by stabbing it several times with the skewer. Mix the juice of the remaining lemons with the 85g caster sugar to achieve the
consistency of wallpaper paste (an analogy strangely left out of most cookery books..) then pour this mixture slowly over your cake – the lemon and sugar will ooze into the holes you have made and achieve citrus-soaked perfection.
Leave to cool. Now is a good time to put the kettle on. Remove your cake from the tin. Any irregularities in the shape of your cake at this point should be considered as unique characteristics and will only add to the flavour.
Make a coffee the way you like it, sit down in the sun and enjoy the zing!
