Lemon drizzle cake

Name: Lemon drizzle cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 125 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing; 175 g golden caster sugar; 2 unwaxed lemons (2 large or 3 small), zest and juice; 2 British Blacktail Large Free Range Eggs, lightly beaten; 175 g self-raising flour, sifted; 4 tbsp whole milk; 50 g granulated sugar

This is a family recipe of Weekend's Alison Oakervee. Most recipes tell you to add the lemon zest to the mix, but for a really zingy flavour, beat the zest into the sugar to start, so the natural oils infuse it. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, drench it in lemon syrup. If you have some limoncello (and are serving to adults), a splash adds an extra punch of lemon.

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Vegetarian

Serves8
CourseCake
Prepare20 mins
Cook45 mins
Total time1 hr 5 mins
Pluscooling

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125g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
175g golden caster sugar
2 unwaxed lemons (2 large or 3 small), zest and juice
2 British Blacktail Large Free Range Eggs, lightly beaten
175g self-raising flour, sifted
4 tbsp whole milk
50g granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment (see tip). In a large mixing bowl, beat together the caster sugar and lemon zest, using an electric hand mixer to release the oils in the zest. When combined, add the softened butter and beat together for 3-4 minutes, until pale, almost white and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs and 1 tbsp flour. Using a large metal spoon or spatula, gently fold in the remaining flour. Add enough milk so the cake batter drops easily from the spoon or spatula when combined.
Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. If you like, run a clean knife down the centre of the cake mix, about 1cm deep (this helps the cake form a domed split down its length as it cooks). Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
With 10 minutes of cooking time to go, heat the lemon juice and granulated sugar in a pan, until the sugar dissolves and comes to the boil. Keep warm.
Remove the cake from the oven and, while still hot and in its tin, prick the surface all over with a skewer. Drizzle over the warm lemon syrup, leave the cake to cool completely in the tin, then cut into thick slices and serve.

Cook’s tip

Loaf tins vary in shape and size. The most accurate way to get the amounts right is to measure the volume with the weight of water needed to fill the loaf tin to threequarters full – 1g = 1ml water.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe