Learn to Bake Irish Lemon Drizzle Cake

From the kitchen of Tenon team member, Liz Aungier

INGREDIENTS

THE CAKE

½ Cup Butter (use Kerrygold Irish butter if you can get it!) – softened. I cheat and put it in the microwave first, can’t wait for it to soften! Try it for 20-30 seconds – you don’t want it to go to liquid- you only want to soften it. Alternatively leave it out in a warm area before you are ready to start baking.

1 ¼ Cups superfine/baking sugar
Grated rind of 1 lemon
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ Cups all-purpose flour
A little milk

THE LEMON DRIZZLE

Juice of the lemon
½ cup normal table sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Before starting anything – preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease and line a 1 pound loaf tin. You can buy paper liners for these tins which I always do for two reasons – it’s easier to get out and it makes the cake look more professional when you present it. If you don’t have liners, put in some greaseproof paper.
3. When the butter is soft add into the bowl the superfine sugar and grated rind of one lemon. Only the skin, don’t go beyond the white bit of the lemon, you don’t want that. Put the lemon aside for now but we’ll use it later.
4. Cream together the butter, sugar and lemon rind. I do this by hand and think it’s better this way.
5. Add the two beaten eggs and the flour.
6. Add a little milk and stir till the mixture is of a dropping consistency. You may need more milk to get thin.
7. Pour the mixture into the loaf tins and bake for 40 minutes but do check on it as every oven is so different.
8. Prepare the Lemon drizzle by warming (only warming not boiling) the mixture of lemon and sugar.
9. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven make several holes with a skewer all over the surface and pour over the lemon drizzle.
10. Leave to cool in its tin for a while.
11. Enjoy with a cup of tea!

If you’re interested in Irish baking, Liz recommends this cookbook – available on Amazon!