Rosie’s Zesty Lemon Drizzle Cake

Rosie Dummer, the presenter of Extreme Cake Makers and self-proclaimed Cake-Diva, shares her fail-safe recipe to get your taste buds tingling. The good news is that it’s easy peasy lemon squeezy!

 

In advance:

Heat your oven to 170C and grease or line a loaf pan.

Ingredients:

250g butter or margarine

250g caster sugar

250g self-raising flour

5 eggs

Grated rind of 3 lemons

For the lemon drizzle:

110g icing sugar

Lemon juice as required

 

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter or margarine and sugar together

2. One by one, gently beat in the eggs. With each egg, add a tablespoon of the flour

3. Gently mix in the remaining flour and lemon rind

4. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown

5. To make the lemon drizzle topping, mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice in a bowl

6. Whilst the cake is still a little warm poke some holes into it and drizzle the topping all over

7. Allow the cake to cool, turn out and pour a final drizzle on top

8. ENJOY!

 

LEMON VICTORIA SPONGE

Ingredients:

225g butter softened

225g caster sugar

4 eggs

225g self-raising flour

2 level tsp baking powder

1 lemon, finely grated zest

 

For the filling:

4 tbsp lemon curd

250g icing sugar, sifted (plus extra for dusting)

80g unsalted butter, at room temperature

25ml semi-skimmed milk

1/2 lemon, finely grated zest

Method:

Lightly grease two 20cm loose-bottomed sandwich tins and line the bases with a circle of grease-proof paper. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160F/Gas mark 4.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl with a wooden spoon.

Add the eggs and the grated lemon zest and mix well.

Sift in the flour and baking powder and combine together with a spatula or metal spoon.

Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins and level with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until well-risen and golden.

Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for a few moments then run a blunt knife around the edge of the tins to free the sides of the cakes. Turn the cakes out, peel off the paper and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

 

Filling:

As the cakes cool, make the buttercream by creaming together the butter and icing sugar.

Add the milk and lemon zest and beat until smooth.

Place one cake top-downwards on to a serving plate. Spread with the lemon curd and then the buttercream. Put the other cake on top and dust with icing sugar.

 

MARBLE CAKE:

Ingredients:

 

225g butter softened

225g caster sugar

275g self-raising flour

2 level tsp baking powder

4 large eggs

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp cocoa powder

 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. Lightly grease a 900g loaf tin, and line with a wide strip of grease-proof paper to go over the base and up the longer sides.

Add the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs, milk and vanilla extract into a large bowl and beat until well-blended. Measure the mixture into 2 separate bowls.

Add the cocoa powder to one of the mixtures, stirring well until evenly blended.

Takes turns spooning the vanilla and cocoa cake mixtures into the prepared tin until all the mixture is used up, and gently level the surface.

Bake for 50 – 60 minutes, until the cake, is well risen, springy to the touch and starting to shrink away from the sides of the tin.

Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack, peel off the lining paper and leave to cool completely.

 

ICED BUN

 

Ingredients:

500g white bread mix

100g caster sugar

1 egg

250-300ml warm water

 

For the icing:

350g icing sugar

Water

 

Method:

Pulse together the bread mix and sugar in a food processor or table-top mixer. While the motor is running, add the egg water, until a soft dough is formed.

Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, about 5-10 mins.

Leave in an oiled bowl, covered with oiled cling film, in a warm place until doubled in size – about 1 hr.

Knockback the dough by squashing with your fist and divide into 20 evenly-sized pieces. Once divided keep covered with a clean tea towel so they don’t dry out.

Shape each into a sausage and place on an oiled baking tray. Cover with oiled cling film and rise until doubled in size again.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Remove film and cook buns on the top shelf for 8-10 mins, until golden and then allow to cool on a wire rack.

To decorate, mix the icing sugar with a little water until stiff but spreadable and apply with a spoon. Why not add food colouring to your icing, or scatter sprinkles on your buns?

 

GLUTEN-FREE RHUBARB AND ORANGE CAKE

Ingredients:

 

400g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces

200g golden caster sugar

150g margarine or softened butter

2 medium eggs

75g gluten-free self-raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

100g ground almonds

1 small orange, grated zest plus 2 tbsp juice

25g flaked almonds, for the topping

 

Method:

Place the rhubarb in a bowl and cover with 50g of the sugar. Leave for 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the cake.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. Grease a round 23cm springform cake tin and line its base with grease-proof paper.

With a whisk, beat together the remaining 150g sugar and the butter, then whisk in the eggs.

Using a metal spoon, gently fold in the flour, baking powder and ground almonds, followed by the orange zest and juice.

Stir the rhubarb and its sugary juices into the cake mixture and spoon into the prepared tin. Place on a baking tray, sprinkle over the flaked almonds and bake for 25 minutes.

Reduce the temperature to 180°C/gas mark 4 and cook for a further 20-25 minutes, or until firm. 7. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.