Review: Lemon Drizzle cake (Tana Ramsey)

Lemon Drizzle CakeRecipe by: Tana Ramsey
Source: BBC Good Food, December 2007 (available online)

Not the quickest of recipes - cooked in a loaf tin this cake can take up to 50minutes to bake (not including the prep time), but it is worth it! With it's crisp, sharp sugar topping and its deep lemon flavour it's proving hard to find a finer recipe (and we have been trying!).

At first we were skeptical due to it's lack of lemon juice, the recipe calls for the zest of a single lemon, and our experience with so many other lemon cake recipes. We thought that maybe the lemon flavour wouldn't be clear enough but we needn't have worried. A fine sponge with a light but distinctive flavour this recipe has been a clear favourite in the KFS kitchen since it was unearthed online back in October.
The suggested topping is just caster sugar a lemon juice giving the top of the cake a clear icing with a crunch to it - a great juxtaposition to the soft texture of the cake itself. And the lemon is a clear flavour just isn't so strong as to be offensive, the prefect balance along side a good cup of tea (or a cheeky glass of wine with the KFS team!)

If you're out for a simple cake that will impress this could lead you to a winner. It can be as simple (a loaf cake with the topping, perfect for tea) or as show-stopping as you like (the best yet has been a round sandwich cake filled with a buttercream which had been marbled with lemon curd [unbeknown to those seeing it for the first time] and flat iced, decorated with crystallised lemon slices ) depending on how much time you have to hand.

Rachel
Overall, a great cake and well worth the time investment. Moreish and fresh what's not to like!