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.

  • Break your eggs into a bowl to make sure they are fresh and beat them together well with a fork.
  • Using either the traditional wooden spoon, or your electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl
    until light and fluffy.
  • Next, grate and add the lemon rind or zest.
  • Add the eggs a little at a time along with a small amount of flour to prevent the mixture from curdling, beating well
    between each addition.
  • Now, please don’t use your mixer for the next stage.
  • Carefully mix or fold in the rest of the flour with the back of a metal tablespoon, pushing it gently through the mixture and turning the bowl round a little after a few strokes.
  • Finally, fold in the lemon juice.
  • Spoon your cake mixture into the prepared loaf or cake tin and level the top surface
    with a flat bladed knife.
  • Sprinkle the top with a little caster sugar, (about two tablespoons), just before it goes into the oven.
  • Bake for one hour or until the top surface of your cake is firm to the touch and a tester or skewer comes out clean when
    inserted into the centre.
  • Bear in mind that you will be able to feel the thin layer of caster sugar on top, which
    gives a lovely crunchy texture and slightly sweet topping.
  • Let the cake cool in its tin for about half an hour before turning it out onto a wire rack to go completely cold.
  • 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.