You will need:
-
8 and a half oz, 240 g, of softened, salted butter (you could use unsalted if you prefer), taken out of
the fridge and left at room temperature for an hour or so before you start baking. - 7 oz, 200 g, of caster sugar plus an extra 2 tbsps for sprinkling over the top of the cake.
-
the grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (you can use two tbsps of ready-prepared lemon
juice instead if you don’t have a lemon squeezer). - 3 large eggs.
- 7 and a half oz, 210 g, of self raising flour.
- 3 and a quarter oz, 90 g, of plain flour.
-
2 oz, 50 g, 2 level tbsps of ground
almonds (optional).
You can use either a two lb, 900g, loaf tin or an 8 inch (20 cm) round, deep sided cake tin (I have used both tins with equal success).
Grease your tin with a little butter then line it with either greaseproof or parchment paper, then grease that again.
Begin by Preheating the oven to Gas Mark 3, 325 F, 170 C. With a fan oven I use 160 C and find it
works well.
until light and fluffy.
between each addition.
with a flat bladed knife.
inserted into the centre.
gives a lovely crunchy texture and slightly sweet topping.
This cake will keep moist and last well for several days if stored in an airtight tin or container, particularly if you
leave it wrapped in its paper.
Mind you, if you’re anything like us, when Shirley Grant made this cake for us it was just so delicious that we simply
couldn’t resist it.
I challenge you to try not to eat it all in one day.