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
- ½tsp baking powder, sifted
- 130ml (4.5fl 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.
Make a few holes in the top of the cake with a skewer, when it comes out of the oven. Mix the juice of 1 lemon with 1 to 2 tbsp of caster sugar and pour over the still-hot cake.