Lemon cake for the family

Press, 15 October 1986, Page 16

Lemon cake for the family

Alison Hoist’s

Food Facts I

This is a delicious, lemon flavoured, family cake — not too heavy and not too light. It has a slightly heavier texture when made in a microwave oven, but microwaving it means that you use much less time and electricity, so you can weigh the advantages against the disadvantages! The microwaved cake has a light coloured surface, but of course this is not noticed if you ice it anyway. I like to make this sort of cake to eat for dessert

when barely cool — before the icing has had a chance to set, and to eat the leftovers the next day, either in packed lunches, or with cups of coffee. Remember to use level standard measures, or you will use too much raising agent. 1% cups sugar rind of 1 lemon 2 cups flour 2 eggs 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup milk 125 g butter melted Juice of one lemon To mix in a food processor: measure sugar into dry food processor bowl with metal chopping blade in position. Peel lemon thinly using a potato peeler, and add rind to sugar, Process until rind is chopped finely through the sugar. Add flour, eggs and baking powder. Dissolve baking soda in the milk. Add and process 30 seconds on top speed. Scrape down sides of processor bowl, add melted butter and lemon juice. Process again for 30 seconds. If mixing with a beater, grate lemon rind finely, then add : remaining ingredients ‘ except butter and juice. Beat on high

speed for 2 minutes. Add melted butter and lemon juice. Beat until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared ring tin. Line bottom with baking paper if cooking in a conventional oven. Grease and flour or spray sides and central column. Bake in microwave 12 minutes on high, until top is almost dry and centre isn’t sticky; ; Bake in conventional oven at 180 C for 40-45 minutes — longer if not in a ring tin, until cake pulls away from the sides of the tin and a skewer in the centre comes out clean. Leave in tin 10 minutes before turning out to cool. Ice with ’ lemon butter or sour cream icing.