Lemon Drizzle Cake

The most requested dessert in my household is the Lemon Drizzle Cake. Friends ask for it and kids, my harshest critics would check to make sure that I have the cake ready on their play-dates. It's easy to make, requiring only 5 ingredients but what you get is an utterly sublime buttery scent wafting from your oven, the soft and moist texture as well as the tarty and sweet syrup as you sink your teeth into a slice.

Ingredients:
225g softened unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
4 eggs
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
225g self raising flour

Syrup
100g caster sugar
juice of 2 lemons

1. Heat oven to 180˚C/fan 160˚C. Grease a 20cm/8inch square tin (I used Pyrex glass dish) with butter. Line the base and sides of the tin with greaseproof paper.

2. Beat the softened butter with sugar until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing thoroughly.

3. Sift in flour and then add finely grated zest of 2 lemons. Mix carefully but don't overdo it as you don't want the batter to lose its ability to hold air.

4. Pour the batter into the tin and level it with a spoon so that it will rise evenly. Bake for 45 minutes or 5 minutes longer if you're like me and prefer a browner crust. Stick a skewer in and if it comes out clean, the cake is done.





5. Meanwhile, to make the syrup, put the sugar and juice of 2 lemons into a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil. Remove from heat before it bubbles.

6. Take a skewer stick or a fork and poke as many holes as you like on the cake. Gently pour or spoon the syrup over the cake.

7. Let it cool and serve.