Lemon Drizzle Cake

A few days ago I attempted to make for the first time a lemon drizzle cake. I really like lemon cake, particularly after a heavy meal. It is cakey and dessert-like but the lemon gives it a freshness and zing that makes it seem light and almost healthy as a choice (even though I imagine it isn't!).

One of my favourite cookbooks is 'The Complete Farmhouse Kitchen Cook Book'. My mum gave me an old copy she had and it has been a regular source of good recipes and old favourites. So I used the recipe on page 322 which was really easy to do and produced a really good cake - the only thing I felt was that there was a bit too much syrup for my liking - it made the cake almost too lemony so next time I will probably half the quantity.

Tangy Lemon Cake
Ingredients

125g/4oz butter
175g/6oz caster sugar
Grated rind and juice 2 lemons
2 beaten eggs
175g/6oz self-raising flour
A little milk
50g/2oz granulated

Method

1. Cream butter, caster sugar and lemon rind until fluffy
2. Gradually beat in eggs
3. Mix in flour and add about 4 tbsp milk to soften mixture - should be soft enough to drop off end of spoon when shaken gently
4. Grease a 1kg/2ib loaf tin
5. Bake in a moderate oven, Gas 4, 350F, 180C, for 45-50 minutes until risen and golden, firm on top and shrinking from the sides of the tin
6. Just before cake is ready to come out of the oven, prepare the lemon syrup. Heat lemon juice and granulated sugar gently until sugar is dissolved
7. As soon as cake is out the oven, while still in the tin, pierce top all over with a skewer and pour over the syrup Leave in the tin until cold.