Amalfi lemon drizzle cake

Name: Amalfi lemon drizzle cake
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: serves 12

2 hours 15 minutes + cooling
serves 12
Easy

Lemon drizzle cake is a classic and it's a favourite for a reason. Amalfi lemons from Italy have an intense aroma and flavour that makes this cake even better, but you can use regular ones too. Dress it up even further with some tart candied peel.

April 23, 2015 at 2:22 pm

Ingredients

Amalfi lemons 2
golden caster sugar 175g
butter 175g, softened
self-raising flour 175g
ground almonds 50g
baking powder 1 tsp
large eggs 3

LEMON DRIZZLE

Amalfi lemons 2, zested and juiced to get 75ml
golden granulated or caster sugar 100g

CANDIED PEEL

Amalfi lemon 1
caster sugar 100g

Method

Step 1

For the candied lemon, peel the lemon then slice into thin strips. Heat the caster sugar with 100ml water until the sugar has dissolved, then simmer the lemon peel until softened. Drain then immediately toss in plenty more sugar to coat and leave to dry.
Step 2

To make the cake, put the whole lemons into a pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes (topping up the water if you need to), or until the lemons pierce really easily with a knife.
Step 3

Drain the lemons, let them cool, then cut them into quarters, removing any pips. Whizz to a smooth purée in a food processor.
Step 4

Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 and butter and line the base and ends of a 2lb/900g loaf tin (about 7cm x 9.5cm x 19.5cm). Put the cooled lemon pulp, sugar, butter, flour, almonds, baking powder and eggs in a big mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth. Scrape into the tin and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean.
Step 5

Cool the cake in the tin for about 20 minutes, then carefully turn out and sit on a wire rack. Poke the top with a skewer a few times, then mix together the drizzle ingredients and immediately spoon over the top to coat. Leave to cool completely, then serve in slices.