Mouth-watering super lemon drizzle cake, with the polenta giving it that beautiful texture. The perfect afternoon snack with a light cup of green tea or not.
Makes: 1 long tin cake (20x10cm), 12 medium slices
Level of difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 35 mins
Cooking time 45-50 mins
Total time: 1hr 20-25mins + plus 40 mins rest time to have the drizzle be absorbed.
Ingredients:
3 large lemons
180g margarine
190g granulated sugar
160g polenta
110g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
4 medium eggs
30ml milk/milk-alternative
170g icing sugar
2 tsp granulated sugar (for topping)
Recipe:
- Rinse and dry the lemons as you’ll want to use the lemon zest for flavouring. Grate each of the lemons (but be careful not to go into the rind – hard white layer). Set aside the zest for now. Next, cut each of the lemons in half and squeeze the lemon juice into a cup, and again set this aside.
- Using a new bowl, cut the margarine into small cubes – this will make it easier to stir – and add the 190g granulated sugar. Stir together till paler in colour and slightly fluffy in texture – warning it will take a lot of arm power to stir.
- In a separate bowl combine the polenta, ground almonds and baking power. Add to this the lemon zest you put aside earlier (but not the juice). Mix these flourless ingredients together. Put aside for now.
- Turn the oven to 160°C Fan
- Returning to your margarine-sugar, add a little of the flourless ingredients and a single egg. Stir together. Repeat this step until all four eggs and ingredients are mixed. Finally stir in 30ml of milk/milk-alternative (depending on your choice).
- Finally pour the cake batter into the tin and use a knife to smooth flat. Bake for 45 minutes.
- To test that it’s thoroughly cooked insert a skew/prong/fork into the cake and pull it out – if it comes out cleanly it’s done, if not bake for five more minutes.
- Leaving the cake to cool, return to the lemon juice you set aside earlier. Add the icing sugar to the juice and stir well. This will create a runny “drizzle”. Using a fork, lightly prick along the top of the cake, leaving multiple holes for the lemon drizzle to be absorbed.
- Sprinkle two teaspoons of granulated sugar across the top – this gives it a little crunch.
- Leave for 40 minutes for the juice to be absorbed before cutting.
All done, why not cut yourself a slice of lemon drizzle cake, you deserve it.
