Lemon Drizzle Cake

Mrs Post's Lemon Drizzle Cake by Paul Hollywood

Is Paul Hollywood really the housewives' pin-up? He makes a good team with Mary Berry in the Great British Bake Off but a pin-up? That's pushing it a bit.Here's a recipe from his fantastic 'How to bake' book (Bloomsbury, £20). 

Here is what mine looked like

The recipe asks for lemon curd.If you have the time to make lemon curd then that's great but I think Tiptree's works just fine. 

Regarding tins, I used a 26 x 10.5cm (10 x 4 inches).

For the version in Spanish please see below. I'm sorry if my translation is not up to scratch. I'll get better- promise.

My rating: 5 Big fat STARS 

Ingredients
75g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
125g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 medium eggs
1 tbsp lemon curd
2 1/2 tbsp full-fat milk

For the drizzle
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp granulated sugar

1.Heat your oven to 180C. Butter a 1kg loaf tin and line with baking parchment.

2.Beat the butter and caster sugar together in a large bowl, using an electron hand-held whisk or wooden spoon, until the mixture is very light and fluffy- this can take up to 10 minutes. Add the flour, baking powder, eggs, lemon curd and milk, mixing all the time, until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

3.Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

4.Meanwhile, for the drizzle, mix the lemon zest and juice with the granulated sugar. Pour the lemon drizzle over the hot cake in the tin. Leave to cool completely, then serve. 

Version en ESPAÑOL

75g manteca (sin sal), ablandada, mas extra para enmantecar
125g azúcar
150g harina leudante
1 cucharadita de polvo para hornear
2 huevos medianos
1 cucharada de lemon curd o crema de limón(se hace con huevos, jugo y ralladura de limón, manteca y azúcar)
2 1/2 cucharadas de leche entera

Para el drizzle
Ralladura fina y jugo de 1 limón
2 cucharadas de azúcar

1.Calentar el horno a 180C. Enmantecar un molde para pan de 1kg y poner papel manteca. 

2.Batir la manteca y el azúcar juntos en un bol grande, usando una batidora eléctrica de mano o una cuchara de madera, hasta que la mezcla este liviana y como esponjoso (no se si este es el término en castellano!). Esto puede llevar como 10 minutos. Agregar la harina, el polvo para hornear, huevos, lemon curd y la leche, mezclando todo el tiempo hasta que los ingredientes estén bien mezclados.

3.Poner la mezcla en el molde y hornear por 40-45 minutos o hasta que después de insertar un pincho o cuchillo éste salga limpio.

4.Mientras tanto, para el drizzle,mezclar el jugo con la ralladura y el azúcar. Verter esto sobre la torta caliente mientras que este en el molde. Dejar enfriar completamente y luego servir.

Bakewell Cake by Rachel Allen

Here is a recipe by the beautiful Rachel Allen- the Irish Domestic Goddess. 

This Bakewell cake is the first recipe I have tried from her book Cake (Collins, £25). 

It turned out absolutely delicious and it didn't take long to prepare. Mine looked pretty much like the picture in the book which is always a challenge. Those food stylists make everything look amazing. 

My rating: 5 STARS without a doubt. 

This is what my Bakewell Cake looked like

Bakewell cake 

Prep time:     15 minutes
Baking time:   50-55 minutes
Ready in:      1 hour and 45 minutes
Serves:        6-8


150g (5oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
150g (5oz) caster sugar
2 eggs
A few drops (not more than 1/8 tsp) of almond essence or extract
50ml (2fl oz) milk
150g (5oz) self-raising flour, sifted
150g (5oz) ground almonds
150g (5oz) fresh or frozen (and defrosted) raspberries
25g (1oz) flaked almonds
Icing sugar, for dusting
Softly whipped cream and fresh raspberries, to decorate

20cm (8in) diameter cake tin with 6cm (2 1/2 in) sides

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), Gas mark 4, then butter the sides of the cake tin and line the base with a disc of baking parchment.

Cream the butter until soft in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Whisk the eggs and the almond essence or extract together in a small bowl for a few seconds or just until combined, then gradually add the eggs to the creamed butter mixture, beating all the time. Next beat in the milk, then add the flour and ground almonds, carefully folding theses in just until they are mixed.

Next add the raspberries and fold in gently so as not to break them up too much. Tip the batter into the prepared tin, then scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Use a small, sharp knife to loosen the edges, then carefully removed the cake from the tin and lead on a wire rack to cool down completely before transferring to a serving plate.

Dust with icing sugar. Serve with softly whipped cream if you wish, or decorate with fresh raspberries.