Can see I'm in good company on this forum.I find most of my recipes on the internet and put a lot of effort into reviewing and comparing recipes before I try the selected one out. I also take account of posted reviews and feedback...and modify my chosen recipe accordingly. I then tweak as I go along, until I feel I have perfected the recipe as much as I can. The pics I post (like the one below) will always be my own. I tend to bake larger quantities and freeze most of what I have baked; for that reason you may want to reduce the quantities shown below.
LEMON-DRENCHED LEMON CAKE
Amounts below for four long loaf tins (10” x 4”). Takes 60 mins prep + 50-60 mins to cook.
770 gms (27 ozs) Self-Raising Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
800 gms (28 ozs) Granulated Sugar
Zest of 8 Lemons
8 Eggs Large, at room temperature. Ideally free-range
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Plain Greek Yoghurt (we like Zita Super Strained). Thick cream can be used instead of yoghurt
450 gms (16 ozs) Butter (salted OK), melted and cooled. If using unsalted, add ½ tsp. salt to recipe
For the syrup (again, for four long loaves)
2/3rds cup of water
1 cup Sugar (granulated)
Juice of 4 lemons and zest of 2 lemons (finely grated this time)
Preheat oven to 160C (fan oven), conventional 180C, gas Mk.4 and bake at that temperature.
Grease and dust with flour four long loaf tins.
In a medium bowl, sift the flour and baking powder and set aside.
Place the sugar and zest of 8 lemons in a large bowl. Working with your fingers, rub them together until the sugar is moist, flecked with zest, and smells wonderfully lemony.
Add the 8 eggs and whisk them into the sugar and lemon, beating them until they are thoroughly incorporated. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then whisk in the yoghurt (or thick cream). Gently stir in the flour in 3 or 4 additions; the batter will now be smooth and thick. Finish by folding in the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions, until combined. If, like me, after mixing you find any butter solids on top of the batter, scoop off and throw them away.
Pour mixture into prepared baking tins, smoothing with a spoon or spatula. Bake in middle of pre-heated oven for 50-60mins at 160C - or until tester clean (50-60 mins was fan-assisted oven). Towards the end, check the cake colour. If the cakes are browning too quickly, cover them lightly with foil tents.
Once the cake is in the oven, make the syrup: stir the sugar and water together in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until the sugar melts, then bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest. Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and set it aside to cool.
When the cakes test done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from their pans and turning them right side up on the rack. Place the rack over a sheet of foil or greaseproof paper, and using a small skewer, food-pick or cake tester, perforate the upper surface of the cake with hundreds of small holes. Brush the cakes all over with the syrup, working slowly, so that the cakes sop it all up. I applied 4-5 coatings per cake, but in all events use up all the syrup.
Leave the cakes to cool to room temperature…and enjoy!
