For Wellie - give this a whirl. This cake looks plain, but it is delicious: sharp and tangy, not too sweet, and very moist. And it's a doddle to make.
For the cake
125 g softened butter
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup thick plain yoghurt
60 ml lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
For the lemon syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
90 ml lemon juice
2 wide strips of lemon rind (use a potato peeler on the lemon)
Preheat the oven to 180 C. Butter and line a 23 cm round cake tin.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well.
Stir in the lemon juice and zest and half the flour. Then add the yoghurt, the remaining flour, and the bicarbonate of soda, and mix to combine. (It's easier to mix in the flour in two batches rather than all at once; there's no magical order of addition of yoghurt and lemon or anything.)
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, and smooth the top well. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until the cake starts to come away from the sides of the tin, and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
A few minutes before the cake is ready to come out of the oven, prepare the syrup. Place the sugar, water, lemon juice, and strips of lemon rind in a small saucepan. (If your lemons are very sharp, reduce the amount of lemon juice a little and make the volume up with water.) Cook, stirring, over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Allow the syrup to simmer gently for 4 minutes, then remove from the heat and fish out the two strips of rind. Immediately pour the syrup over the top of the cake, while it is still hot and in the tin.
Let the cake sit for at least 5 minutes before turning out of the tin and serving. It is good both warm and at room temperature, for up to a day or so after making. Serve plain or with a dollop of yoghurt.
Never lasts longer than a couple of days here!
For the cake
125 g softened butter
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup thick plain yoghurt
60 ml lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
For the lemon syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
90 ml lemon juice
2 wide strips of lemon rind (use a potato peeler on the lemon)
Preheat the oven to 180 C. Butter and line a 23 cm round cake tin.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well.
Stir in the lemon juice and zest and half the flour. Then add the yoghurt, the remaining flour, and the bicarbonate of soda, and mix to combine. (It's easier to mix in the flour in two batches rather than all at once; there's no magical order of addition of yoghurt and lemon or anything.)
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, and smooth the top well. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until the cake starts to come away from the sides of the tin, and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
A few minutes before the cake is ready to come out of the oven, prepare the syrup. Place the sugar, water, lemon juice, and strips of lemon rind in a small saucepan. (If your lemons are very sharp, reduce the amount of lemon juice a little and make the volume up with water.) Cook, stirring, over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Allow the syrup to simmer gently for 4 minutes, then remove from the heat and fish out the two strips of rind. Immediately pour the syrup over the top of the cake, while it is still hot and in the tin.
Let the cake sit for at least 5 minutes before turning out of the tin and serving. It is good both warm and at room temperature, for up to a day or so after making. Serve plain or with a dollop of yoghurt.
Never lasts longer than a couple of days here!
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