Lemons

Lemons really do it for me, the colour of them, the zingy taste, and most of all the scent of them. I always have them in the house as I use them a lot in cooking and baking, and I like the look of them sitting in a bowl in my kitchen.

I like to bake anytime the mood takes me, but there is something very homely and comforting about Sunday afternoon baking. Yesterday I baked one of my absolute favourites :: lemon drizzle cake. The recipe comes from this book which was given to me by J's Nana. In her time she was a supreme baker, we have some very treasured recipes that she's handed down to us.

This recipe for lemon cake is divine, its easy to make, the kitchen smells delicious and it always turns out light, moist and zesty.

LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE

125g butter

175g caster sugar

Grated rind and juice 2 lemons

2 beaten eggs

175g self-raising flour

A little milk

50g granulated sugar

• Cream butter, caster sugar and lemon rind until fluffy (I bung all in food processor and give a good whizz)
• Gradually beat in eggs (add to processor and whizz)
• Mix in flour and add about 4tbs milk (yes, whizz again in processor) - mixture should be soft enough to drop off spoon when gently shaken
• Grease a 1kg/2lb loaf time (I usually line with baking parchment instead of greasing)
• Bake in moderate oven gas 4/350F/180C for 45 to 50 mins until risen and golden, firm on top.
• Just before cake comes out of oven, prepare lemon syrup: Heat lemon juice and granulated sugar gently until sugar has dissolved (45 secs in microwave and a good stir)
• As soon as cake is out of oven, while still in tin, stab it all over top with a skewer (my kids LOVE doing this bit!)..pour over the lemon syrup.
• Leave cake in tin until cold (The cake will soak up all the syrup, even if it looks very soggy at the start)

Oh, I love Sunday baking, especially the big mug of tea and cake that follows.

Comments

[Claudia]

Hello Lucy
Many thanks for this recipe. The first time when I was in Dorset with my parents in 1987 at the age of 16, we also visited the Tearoom at Ford Abbey. My mother ate there a very delicious and juicy orange cake. Since that time I think I baked about 100 cakes but at no time I found the right recipe. But now I saw your recipe and baked it with two oranges instead of two lemons and my mother was very enthused. She said it tasted just like the cake in Ford Abbey. So after 26 years finally I found the right cake recipe for my mother and it makes her really happy.

[Katharine]

Thank you for sharing this recipe. I've just tried it... yum yum :)

[Hazel]

Hi Lucy,
Just made your Lemon Drizzle cake. Yummy! It's everything you said it is. Many thanks for sharing

[Liliana Barrera]

Querida Lucy!! Hace más de un año que disfruto de tus trabajos, son simplemente MARAVOLLOSOS!Estoy feliz de haberte conocido. Me has enseñado mucho! Saludos desde Argentina.

[Emma]

Love your blog. Love all things 'lemon'. I copied the recipe and since I'm from the US, I'll need to translate the amounts but by then I'll know the recipe by heart. :)

[kim dawson]

looks yummy thank you for sharing I may make that this week :)

[Kelly]

I found this site for the conversion. I'm going to give it a go.
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/cooking-conversions/gram-conversions.aspx

[lilito-handmade.webs.com]

Hi Lucy
Thank you for the recipe, it looks delicious!

[maypole]

Oh I have that lovely book, bought it after watching the TV series years and years and years ago!

The soft gingerbread recipe is fab and is in the oven as we speak!

[Cathy]

In the oven just now, I trust you, should be yummm !

[Resmi]

I just tried it yesterday and it was awesome. Such an easy yet delicious recipe.

Resmi

[Teresa]

Oh, and to substitute our US "sugar" to caster sugar, run it through the blender until it is fine but not powdered.
~ t.

[Teresa]

Sandi,
I found this on the web today.
http://www.traditionaloven.com/tutorials/conversion.html
I hope it helps!
~ t.

[Sandi Madison]

I don't know how to convert to US measurement.Can anyone help?
Sandi

[Lisa Male]

I've just made this with Gluten-free Flour subbed in, and it worked out pretty well :o)
I think the drizzling to keep it moist really helps with the flour mix, which can be a bit powdery.

x x x

[Abi]

Made this at the weekend and it was delicious! Thank you so much for such an easy-to-follow recipe.

[Rainbow]

hello
I made it a while ago LUcy and it was very nice indeed , thanks again!

[Josette]

I just tried this with oranges and it's pretty yummy this way too.

[Lauren]

Oh gosh, I made this for dessert tonight - just let it cool a little bit, had a bigish piece warm with ice cream. Delicious! Thank you for sharing it.

[Rainbow In the grey sky]

thank you Lucy will let you know how it turns out!

[maria do carmo]

despite I am brazilian I cant let to visit you.... I visit you every day, I copied your recipes to do on christmas.....I love your blog and the way that you write about simple things.....I did that your crochet bird and i will put on my christmas tree...hugs

[audrey]

Hi Lucy,

I just wanted to let you know that I made your lemon drizzle cake recently and it was absolutely divine!! So easy to put together, too and a big hit with my family! Thank you for sharing it!!

[Darina]

Ok, there's mine http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs180.snc1/6775_1097912651516_1337621992_30266625_4402179_n.jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs180.snc1/6775_1097912971524_1337621992_30266626_1823142_n.jpg

I hope I made it right and tasty, thank you for recipe(((:
(SUN)

[Darina]

I just put my lemone drizzle cake in the oven. I hope it is good X_x

[Patsy]

I would love to make the lemon drizzle cake but I don't know how to convert US measurements. Can anyone help me?