Lemon drizzle cake

I love being creative in the kitchen and pushing myself out of my comfort zone but sometimes I just want to make and more importantly eat something just that bit simpler, and a simple slice of cake, without icing and frosting, to go with a cup of tea was what I was craving.

I made a simple lemon drizzle cake, the recipe is from the hummingbird bakery but I adapted it to make it dairy free and reduced the sugar.

The recipe makes a lot of batter, I have the bigger size loaf tin and there was way too much mix. Luckily I have mini loaf tins too and so I recruited them and actually ended up with one loaf and two mini ones! Luckily the cake keeps well in an airtight tin!

Lemon drizzle loaf (s!)

200g lactofree spread

275g golden caster sugar

3 eggs

½ tsp vanilla paste

Zest of two lemons

350g self raising flour

250g unsweetened almond milk

25g caster sugar

Juice of one and half lemons

Preheat the oven to 170C/150C FAN and grease and line the base of a 2lb loaf tin (have the mini ones on standby!)

Gently melt the butter (or lactose free alternative) and set aside to cool. Using a hand held or free standing electric whisk beat the eggs and sugar till thick, light and mousse like. eat in the vanilla and lemon zest. Add in a third of the lemon and beat until incorporated  beat in a third of the milk. Continue adding the remaining flour and milk in this way Finally eat in the melted butter, on slow, until no streak remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin(s), filling n more than 3/4 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 65-75 minutes, until risen, golden and springy.  

While the cake is cooking make the syrup. Heat the sugar with the lemon juice until thickened and a syrup consistency. 

When the cake comes out of the oven transfer to  wire rack and use a skewer or cocktail stick to make holes two thirds of the way down the cake. Brush the syrup over the cake allowing it to soak in.

This cake does exactly everything I wanted it to. The perfect mate to a hot drink after a long day.