Serendipity Cake Companies truly luscious lemon drizzle cake
Created by Alison Tregoning at Serendipity Cake Company.
This is without doubt one of our customer’s favourite Serendipity cake flavours light lemony sponge, infused with lemon drizzle and filled with lemon curd and lemon curd buttercream. finished with a lemon drip icing Three layers of pure lemon joy.
This delightful cake conjures up precious memories of a very happy childhood. Lazy hot summer afternoons in our garden, sprawled on our red tartan travelling rug, fighting with my sister over the last piece of my mums lemony buttery cake whilst screeching and fighting off the unwanted attentions of hungry wasps trying to steal sugary morsels. (Beware of the unattended pop can in late summer!). Little did I know that my mum’s humble but totally delicious lemon cake could be pimped to this luscious lemon drizzle cake recipe.
Distinctively sharp with Sicilian lemons (if you can get them, don’t worry if you can’t) yet rich with creamy butter. I love making this cake for all my customers, it never fails to impress and is worth the time it takes to make. For those that love lemon drizzle I think that this cake is something quite special. So during this very difficult time of lockdown my advice to you is play the Sham A Ling Dong Ding song by Jesse Winchester on You Tube, the sweetest song. Shoo everyone out the kitchen, make a beverage of your choice and lose yourself in baking.
A Little information about the Ingredients
As with all my recipes there are some ingredients that make the cake better. If you can get unwaxed lemons they are the best, you need to use them quickly though because the wax coating that some producers use does keep them fresher longer, but I hate grating wax into my cake as well as lemon rind.
Use butter not margarine, and vanilla extract not essence. Extracts are taken straight from the source and essence is generally manufactured. For example Vanilla Extract is a natural product, it has a lot fuller and stronger flavour and is taken straight from the vanilla pod which has been mixed with alcohol and water.
A few tips and advice before starting baking
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature, including milk, butter and eggs
- Sift your flour, really? yes, it does make a difference.
AuthorAlison TregoningCategoryCakesDifficultyBeginnerEnsure all ingredients are at room temperature. Grease and line with baking parchment an 8 inch round or square cake tin. Turn on your oven and pre heat to - Fan 160°C (325°F) - Conventional 180°C (350°F) - Gas mark 4
Beat together in a clean bowl the butter and sugar using an electric whisk. Keep whisking until the mixture is really pale, light and fluffy this could take 5 minutes (This bit is really important!). When you pick up some mixture on a spoon it should fall off easily.
Add the rest of the cake ingredients including the finely grated lemon rind. Mix to combine
Transfer the mixture to your prepared cake tin and bake for 50 minutes. All ovens are different you may need more or less time. If the cake is brown on top and 45 minutes have passed test your cake by pressing the centre if it is firm and springs back it is probably baked. I always then test with a skewer, if this comes out clean your cake is baked.
As soon as your cake is in the oven make your drizzle. You will need this as soon as the cake comes out. Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a clean bowl. Stir occasionally to make sure the sugar is dissolved. When the cake is baked remove from the oven, keeping it in the tin, and immediately skewer holes all over your cake. Make sure you get right to the bottom of the cake. Pour the lemon drizzle all over your cake and allow to cool completely.
Place your butter in a clean bowl and mix to incorporate air with an electric whisk until very pale in colour. Add your sieved icing sugar and mix to incorporate 20 seconds only. Add 4tblsp of lemon curd, stir in to incorporate.
When your cake has cooled completely remove from the tin and cut into 3 layers. Start by spreading a layer of lemon curd on its own over the sponge. Then generously fill your cake with lemon curd buttercream. Make your Lemon Icing Topping
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the lemon zest and juice, stirring until smooth. Put your filled cake on a serving plate and pour the icing carefully over the top. If you pour it on to the middle of the cake, then let gravity disperse the icing down the sides, you get the drip effect! Give it a helping hand with a spoon if you want.
We love using homemade jams, jellies and curds and they are surprisingly easy to make, have a look at our delicious lemon curd recipe
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