There is something very elegant and timeless about Lemon Drizzle Cake, perhaps it’s the simplicity – no drama of jams, cream, chocolate or icing (just a little ‘frosting’). A good lemon cake should be moist and, with this recipe, the addition of ground almonds ensures. The natural oil in the nuts causes the cake to become even more moist with each passing day.
(serves 6 plus)
225g softened butter
225g caster sugar
3 lemons, zested and juiced
4 medium eggs, lightly whisked
200g self-raising flour
50g of ground almonds
1 teaspoon of baking powder
Icing sugar
Heat the oven to 180c. Butter and line the base of a 20cm round cake tin. Beat the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl using an electric whisk until pale and creamy. Add the lemon zest (reserving some for decoration) and mix well. Gradually whisk the eggs into the butter mixture, beating well between each addition – don’t worry if it curdles.
Sift together the flour and baking powder and fold into the cake mixture using a large metal spoon. Add three quarters of the lemon juice and the ground almonds and fold until thoroughly combined. Spoon into the prepared cake tin and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Place the cake tin on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile mix together the remaining lemon juice and zest and enough icing sugar to make a runny icing and then drizzle over the top of the cake. Cool in the tin for a further 30 minutes. Remove from the tin and cool completely before serving.
I like to serve this cake on its own but it is delicious with a generous spoonful of crème frache and a raspberry coulis.
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