Lemon Syrup Cake

Photo: The Answer is Cake

I’m not sure what I like more – the cake which is delicately flavored with the zest of two lemons – the syrup, all sweet and tangy, or the gorgeous, snowy-white lemon icing.

There’s a lot to like with this lemon cake.

This is actually four lemon cake recipes in one. Option one is that you can make the cake without any syrup or glaze – it’s buttery, full of lemon zest and completely wonderful just by itself.

Or you can just add the syrup for a beautifully moist lemon syrup cake, without the extra icing.

Or you can just add the snowy-white lemon icing (no syrup).

The forth option is to go all-out, as I have here, and add the syrup and the icing for a big, wonderful lemony hit.

Another big plus with this recipe is that the cake batter is made in your food processor in minutes. No creaming butter and sugar or adding wet to dry ingredients. You simply put all the ingredients into the food processor at the same time and whiz. Too easy.

This Lemon Syrup Cake is a big favorite in our house. If it manages to last a second day the flavor is even better, as it intensifies with time. Lemon cake heaven.

Lemon Syrup Cake Recipe

 

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

Ingredients

For the lemon cake:

• 125g butter
• 175g caster sugar
• 175g self raising flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 65ml milk

For the lemon syrup:

• 150g icing sugar
• Juice of 2 lemons (about 50ml). Reserve half of the syrup to make the icing.

For the lemon icing:

• Half of the lemon syrup from above.
• Approx 75g icing sugar (more or less depending on how thick you want your icing).

Instructions

1. Step 1 – Preheat Oven 180 degrees C. Grease and line a medium sized loaf pan.
2. Step 2 – Place all cake ingredients into your food processor and whiz until smooth.
3. Step 3 – Pour cake mixture into the loaf pan.
4. Step 4 – Bake for 45-50 minutes.
5. Step 5 – Use a skewer/toothpick/small knife to test if the cake is done.
6. Step 6 – Leave cake in the pan once you remove from the oven.
7. Step 7 – To make the syrup, heat the lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Be careful not to boil. Stir until syrup has thickened and is transparent (about 4-5 minutes). Taste syrup and adjust sugar to taste.
8. Step 8 – While the cake is still warm and in the pan, prick all over with a skewer/toothpick. Slowly spoon half of the syrup over the cake, waiting for each spoonful to be absorbed before adding the next. Reserve half of the syrup to make the icing.
9. Step 9 – Leave the syrup soaked cake to cool in the pan. Once cold, carefully remove the cake from the baking pan.
10. Step 10 – To make the icing, take reserved lemon syrup and add icing sugar until you have a thick, smooth snowy white icing. The more icing sugar you add the thicker your icing will be. Spread icing over cold cake, allowing some to drip down the sides for effect.

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