I am very VERY keen on lemon cake. I love it to be both sweet and sharp all at once, which is achieved by drizzling a syrup made of lemon juice and icing sugar all over a sponge made in a loaf tin as soon as it comes out of the oven, then leaving it to cool completely in the tin. This makes it sticky, moist and completely delicious. My mum made a fabulous version of this, but used a 18cm square tin and cooked it for less time (about 30 mins should do it). This is also her name for it and it is completely fitting, for luscious is exactly what it is!
Ingredients
125g butter, softened
175g caster sugar
2 eggs
zest of 1 lemon
1tbsp poppy seeds (optional)
175g self raising flour
pinch salt
4 tbsp milk
For the syrup:
juice of 1 lemon (about 4 tablespoons)
100g icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a 1lb loaf tin (roughly 23x13x7cm) with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.
Cream together the butter and sugar until well combined and a little bit paler than the butter's original colour. Add the eggs and beat together. Mix in the lemon zest and poppy seeds if using, then add the flour and salt. Add the milk to loosen the mixture, the scrape into the prepared tin. Bake for 45 minutes, until risen and golden.
Whilst it is baking, put the juice and icing sugar in a pan and warm gently until the sugar is dissolved. As soon as the cake is cooked, jab it all over with a skewer or small knife, then pour the syrup over. Make sure it is evenly distributed, as it is rather keen on running to the edges so spoon plenty of the syrup into holes made in the middle. Once you've doused it, leave it to cool completely before taking it out the tin. If you can leave it over night, as it will soak in fully and the remaining heat of the cake will help the liquid evaporate, and leave an almost imperceptible sugary crust on the top of the cake.
Variations
You could do this with any citrus fruit I think. If your using oranges, it will probably be the juice of half an orange, if limes, probably the juice of two.
Ingredients
125g butter, softened
175g caster sugar
2 eggs
zest of 1 lemon
1tbsp poppy seeds (optional)
175g self raising flour
pinch salt
4 tbsp milk
For the syrup:
juice of 1 lemon (about 4 tablespoons)
100g icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a 1lb loaf tin (roughly 23x13x7cm) with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.
Cream together the butter and sugar until well combined and a little bit paler than the butter's original colour. Add the eggs and beat together. Mix in the lemon zest and poppy seeds if using, then add the flour and salt. Add the milk to loosen the mixture, the scrape into the prepared tin. Bake for 45 minutes, until risen and golden.
Whilst it is baking, put the juice and icing sugar in a pan and warm gently until the sugar is dissolved. As soon as the cake is cooked, jab it all over with a skewer or small knife, then pour the syrup over. Make sure it is evenly distributed, as it is rather keen on running to the edges so spoon plenty of the syrup into holes made in the middle. Once you've doused it, leave it to cool completely before taking it out the tin. If you can leave it over night, as it will soak in fully and the remaining heat of the cake will help the liquid evaporate, and leave an almost imperceptible sugary crust on the top of the cake.
Variations
You could do this with any citrus fruit I think. If your using oranges, it will probably be the juice of half an orange, if limes, probably the juice of two.
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