PHA UK member Pam Ellis is a skilled baker (we know – we’ve been lucky enough to try some of it!) and here she shares her recipe for her famous lemon drizzle cake. Enjoy!

This is my recipe which I have used for years, originally from one my dad used to make as a chocolate cake – so it can be adapted if you want by adding other flavours instead of lemon.

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs  (weigh the eggs in their shells and use that weight for the rest of the ingredients)

Butter

Castor Sugar

Self-raising flour

1tsp baking powder

1tsp vanilla extract

1/2 lemon juice (save the rest and the zest for decoration)

2 x 7″ lined cake tins

Oven set to 180 degrees (fan assisted oven)  200 degrees or gas mark 6-7.

METHOD

Beat the sugar and butter together along with the vanilla extract until light in colour and smooth in texture.

Beat the eggs together in a jug.

Sieve the flour and baking powder together.

Now add a small amount of the beaten egg to your butter mix and beat (I use a electric mixer for this but you can do it by hand if you are strong enough) and keep adding the egg mix until it is all combined.  If you see the mixture split, don’t panic, just and a spoonful of the flour and carry on.  Sometimes its splits, it’s not really a problem unless you doing it for a competition!  Carry on by adding the rest of the flour and stir it in with a big metal spoon – this is called folding in. At this stage you can add your lemon juice too.

When it is all combined place into 2  x 7″ lined cake tins and place into the oven.

Cook for around 22 – 25 minutes, but this can vary due to ovens being different.  Check by listening to the cake… I know it sounds daft but if it is still sizzling then it’s not cooked,  When cooked, the sponge will come away from the edge of the tin slightly and will be quiet if you put your ear to it.  Not too close though – we don’t want any burnt ears!

Leave to rest for about 5 minutes and then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

Now for the filling and topping…

FILLING

125g mascarpone cheese

4 tbs of icing sugar

2tps vanilla extract

Beat these together. It’s all about taste so check it and add further icing sugar or cheese, whichever you feel is best.  You can also use any cream cheese if you don’t like mascarpone cheese.

TOPPING

Icing sugar – I really don’t weigh this; just use enough to make a very thick sauce with the lemon juice reserved and the lemon zest.

To finish:

Spread one side of the cake with the filling, and top that off with lemon curd if you wish – it gives it a lovely flavour. Sandwich both cakes together and pour the topping mix over the top allowing it to soak in and run down the sides to make a lovely sticky mess!

This is best kept in the fridge but take it out for about 20 minutes before you eat it.  ENJOY! 🙂