Lemon drizzle squares

There are so many different types of lemon cake, and you will always find one gracing any counter at tea shops and cafes alike, and they are a given at school and work bake sales so where did the lemon cake originate from?

Although its original origin is not known, it has been found through ancient Greece and Rome a veriety of large heavy flat cakes were made as offerings to the gods. At this time bread and cake were very interchangeable and it is believe that it wasn’t until about 1700 when cakes became fashionable to eat and were then a sign of wealth.

It was here, in England, somewhere in the 1700 the pound cake was developed. From here it became popular for lords and ladies at high tea. – Even today, for anyone who likes an traditional afternoon tea, you’ll often find some variety of lemon cake gracing the stands.

With this in mind it makes sense that my hand me down recipe resembles a simple pound cake recipe. Because it has denser texture similar to madeira cake it absorbs a lot more lemon juice and therefore giving it bigger lemon flavour, without compromising their structure of the cake, and preventing it from being soggy.

Ingredients

1. 175g Self raising flour

2. 175g caster sugar

3. 100g unsalted butter (room temperature)

4. 2 eggs

5. 3 tbsp. milk

6. 2 whole lemons (zest and juice)

7. 1 tsp baking powder

8. 160g Granulated sugar

You will need:

1. Greaseproof paper

2. baking tray or loaf tin

3. bowl

4. wooden spoon/ electric whisk

5. weighing scales

6. Grater/ zester

7. Lemon juicer

Oven temperature:

180C/ 160C fan/ Gas 4

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 180C/ 160 fan/ Gas 4

2. With greaseproof paper line your tin or loaf cake.

3. Cream together the butter and the caster sugar until light and fluffy.

4. With the grater or zester remove the rind from the lemon and mix into the butter and sugar.

5. Add one egg and mix well.

6. Add half the flour and baking powder and mix until incorporated

7. Loosen the mixture up by adding in the milk and mix well.

8. Add the remaining flour and mix until all the flour in incorporated.

9. Again loosen the mixture up by adding the final egg and mix well.

10. Scrape the mixture into the baking tin and place into the middle of the oven.

11. Cook for approximately 30-35 minutes or until golden and springs back to a light touch.

12. whilst the cake is baking, take the juice from the 2 lemons and add the granulated sugar, mix well.

13. Once cooked remove from the oven.

14. Whilst still hot and in its tin spoon the sugar and lemon juice mixture over the top of the cake. as the lemon juice is soaked into the sponge the sugar will crystallise on top.

15. once cooled slice and remove from the tin.

This recipe can be used and adapted to create orange drizzle pound cake by simply replacing the lemon with orange. Or why not try adding a little rosemary to your lemon for a more fragrant cake? Or why not simply add poppy seeds?