Luxuriously Lovely Lemon Drizzle Cake
When it comes to cake, you really can't beat the classics and every self-respecting baker has their own take on the lemon drizzle cake. The balance of sweet and sour along with the necessity for a moist but not dense sponge make it quite tricky to perfect but I think I have the solution.
This cake is gloriously sticky with an almost creamy texture on the inside but a satisfying crunch of sugar on the exterior. In terms of flavour, for me there has to be a good kick of lemon or why bother(!) so it's packed full of citrusy sourness. This is another great cake to go with a cup of tea (see Mind-Blowingly Magnificent Banana Bread) but it also goes down well at parties with a dollop of crème fraîche on the side!
Luxuriously Lovely Lemon Drizzle Cake
Makes approx. 12 slices
For the cake:
5 free-range eggs
300g/11oz caster sugar
140ml/5fl oz double cream
3 lemons, zest only
1½ tbsp dark rum
1 pinch salt
80g/3oz unsalted butter, melted
240g/8½oz plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
For the apricot jam glaze:
3 tbsp apricot jam, warmed in a small saucepan
For the lemon glaze:
1 lemon, zest and juice
150g/5oz icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Lightly butter a 26cm x 9cm x 8cm/10in x 3½in x 3in loaf tin and line it with greaseproof paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cream, lemon zest, rum, salt and butter. Sift the flour and baking powder into a separate bowl then whisk it into the egg mixture until you have a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. The cake is cooked when a knife blade inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the tin, turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool for 10 minutes. This will allow the steam to escape before you glaze the cake. Leave the oven turned on. Brush the cake with the warmed apricot glaze and leave for five minutes while you make the lemon glaze.
For the lemon glaze, mix together the lemon juice, zest and icing sugar. Heat the mixture in a small pan, or in the microwave, until the sugar has dissolved and you have syrup. Brush the lemon glaze all over the cake and leave for a few minutes to set.
Place the glazed cake in the oven on a baking tray, turn off the heat and leave for 3-5 minutes to dry the glaze and turn it translucent. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool to room temperature before serving.
This cake is gloriously sticky with an almost creamy texture on the inside but a satisfying crunch of sugar on the exterior. In terms of flavour, for me there has to be a good kick of lemon or why bother(!) so it's packed full of citrusy sourness. This is another great cake to go with a cup of tea (see Mind-Blowingly Magnificent Banana Bread) but it also goes down well at parties with a dollop of crème fraîche on the side!
Luxuriously Lovely Lemon Drizzle Cake
Makes approx. 12 slicesFor the cake:
5 free-range eggs
300g/11oz caster sugar
140ml/5fl oz double cream
3 lemons, zest only
1½ tbsp dark rum
1 pinch salt
80g/3oz unsalted butter, melted
240g/8½oz plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
For the apricot jam glaze:
3 tbsp apricot jam, warmed in a small saucepan
For the lemon glaze:
1 lemon, zest and juice
150g/5oz icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Lightly butter a 26cm x 9cm x 8cm/10in x 3½in x 3in loaf tin and line it with greaseproof paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cream, lemon zest, rum, salt and butter. Sift the flour and baking powder into a separate bowl then whisk it into the egg mixture until you have a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. The cake is cooked when a knife blade inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the tin, turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool for 10 minutes. This will allow the steam to escape before you glaze the cake. Leave the oven turned on. Brush the cake with the warmed apricot glaze and leave for five minutes while you make the lemon glaze.
For the lemon glaze, mix together the lemon juice, zest and icing sugar. Heat the mixture in a small pan, or in the microwave, until the sugar has dissolved and you have syrup. Brush the lemon glaze all over the cake and leave for a few minutes to set.
Place the glazed cake in the oven on a baking tray, turn off the heat and leave for 3-5 minutes to dry the glaze and turn it translucent. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool to room temperature before serving.
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