Ingredients
- 4 large free-range eggs
- 275g (9.5oz) caster sugar
- zest 3 large lemons, plus lemon juice
- 275g (9.5oz) self-raising flour, sifted, plus extra for greasing
- 0.5tsp baking powder, sifted
- 130ml (4½fl oz) double cream
- 65g (2.5oz) unsalted butter, melted
- 200g (7oz) icing sugar
you will need:
- 2 x 450g (1lb) loaf tins
Method
Heat the oven to 180 C, 160 C fan, 350 F, gas 4. Butter and flour the loaf tins. Whisk the eggs and sugar with a pinch of salt until foamy but not too thick. Add the lemon zest and whisk in the sifted flour and baking powder in 3 batches, stirring just enough to incorporate it. Don’t overbeat as this will give you a very dense and heavy cake. Whisk in the cream and gently fold in the butter.
Pour the mixture evenly between the 2 loaf tins. Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until the tops of the cakes are golden, risen and springy to the touch.
When done, remove from the oven and leave the cakes to cool in their tins for 5 minutes, before turning out on to a wire rack.
- To make the glacé icing, mix the icing sugar with enough lemon juice to form a very thick paste, spread over the top of the cooled cake and leave to set.
Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news, interesting opinion, expert advice on styling and beauty trends, and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered.