This soft and moist lemon drizzle cake is full of flavour, as there is lemon zest in the cake. It is then soaked with lemon syrup when it comes out of the oven and taken a step further with a lemon glaze. And not just that, Lady Lemon insists on the presence of gorgeously candied fruit on top. She is the queen of lemons after all, and only the best cake will do.
Serves: 16
180g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed, plus extra for greasing
180g caster or granulated sugar
¼ tsp salt
180g shelled eggs, about 5 large
Grated zest of 2 large lemons
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
220g self-raising flour
60ml whole milk
Lemon simple syrup
80g caster or granulated sugar
120ml lemon juice
Lemon glaze
210g icing sugar
2½ tbsp lemon juice
Candied fruit
1 lemon
1 orange
190ml water
2 tbsp lemon juice
200g caster or granulated sugar
Royal icing
40g egg white
210g [1½ cups] icing sugar
Plus extra egg white and icing sugar to adjust and get the right consistency
Royal icing (to pipe face profile)
½ quantity of Royal Icing
Brown food dye
Edible gold leaf
Preheat the oven to 180°C [350°F/Gas mark 4]. Grease a 9-in square baking tin and line the base with baking paper.
Add the butter, sugar and salt to a stand mixer (or use a handheld electric whisk) fitted with the balloon whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until the butter is smooth. Increase the heat to high and beat until the butter is fluffy and pale in colour.
Lightly beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Add the eggs, 1 tbsp at a time, to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon zest and vanilla bean paste and mix to combine.
Add the flour and milk and mix on low speed until just combined.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 30–40 minutes until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, make the lemon simple syrup. Heat all the ingredients in a small pan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes, then take off the heat.
When the cake is baked, run a knife around the edges and turn out onto a rack. Peel off the baking paper.
Immediately poke holes all over the surface of the cake and use a pastry brush to soak the cake with all the lemon simple syrup, then leave to cool.
Meanwhile, make the lemon glaze. Whisk the icing sugar and lemon juice together in a bowl until there are no lumps.
When the cake is only slightly warm to the touch, spread on the lemon glaze. Use a warm, sharp knife to neatly trim off the edges of the cake, then transfer to a serving plate.
While you wait for the glaze to set, make the candied fruit slices. Slice the lemon and orange into 3mm thick slices, discarding the seeds. Add the water, lemon juice and sugar to a shallow pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lemon and orange slices and simmer for another 15 minutes, turning them occasionally, until the rinds are soft and the fruit is translucent. Transfer to a sheet of baking paper and leave to cool.
Next, make the royal icing. Add the brown food dye to colour, then transfer to a piping bag. Snip a small tip and use to pipe the profile of Lady Lemon’s face, now that the glaze is set with a crust.
To help guide you, you can first paint a guide using brown food dye mixed with a little water. Arrange the candied lemon and orange slices to decorate, then add edible gold leaf.
For the royal icing
Use a stand mixer (or handheld electric whisk) fitted with a balloon whisk attachment to combine the egg white and icing sugar until you get a smooth consistency. Then add tiny amounts of extra egg white and/or icing sugar to get the right consistency. Add food dye to colour as desired. That is it! u
For more of Kim-Joy’s wonderful recipes, see yorkshirelife.co.uk or grab her book, Baking with Kim-Joy, £18.
