Lemon and marmarlade cake

With these kitchen basics at hand a cake is only moments away...

I often get the urge to cook/bake and feel like there is nothing in my cupboards. I looked through my recipe books and realised I didn't have coconut, almonds, cocoa, buttermilk, sour cream, cream cheese or even fruit needed in the recipes that caught my eye. OK so I had the basics, a BIG jar of homemade marmalade from the next door neighbours and a lemon tree. What can I create?

I couldn't resist including some of the lyrics to Lady Marmalade, first recorded by an all girl group called Labelle in 1974 

Lemon cake seemed the obvious choice so scanned through the books to find one that looked moist.

Lemon syrup cake from the AWW (Australian Women's Weekly) book titled “COOK” PG 148 hit the mark and I decided to add the marmalade to the lemon syrup for a zesty moist finish.

It takes a lot of butter but I guess that’s what makes it moist! 

Like the title says rich, syrupy and sticky - perfect with a cup of tea!

What you need

250g softened butter

1 tbs lemon rind (I added 2 maybe 3)

1-cup caster sugar

3 eggs

1 cup of buttermilk (I used regular)

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 cups self-raising flour

Lemon syrup

1/3 cup lemon juice

¼ cup water

¾ cup sugar

2 tbs marmalade

How to make

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C and grease a pan with the removable sides (24cm)

Cream butter, sugar and lemon rind

Beat in eggs one at a time

Fold in milk, lemon juice and flour in t batches and spread into the pan. (I was cautious about over mixing)

Bake for about 50 minutes but do keep checking as I think I took mine out earlier.

Whilst its cooking add the syrup ingredients to a saucepan and simmer to reduce and thicken. It really doesn’t matter too much if your measurements are out, you just need to simmer until its thickened and stick. I wouldn’t advise reducing the sugar though.

When your cake is ready add a few deep holes into it with a knife pour the hot syrup all over – be generous.

Put the knife around the side of the cake tin and remove it before the syrup has time to stick.

Let it cool a bit before serving. 

The amazing marmalade from the neighbours and Greek yoghurt to dress the cake

We ate it warm soon after cooking with thickened Greek yoghurt and it was delicious. I also ate it cold the next day and not to bad BUT microwaved a piece one night and had it with vanilla ice cream and that’s the way to go – eat warm!

Vanessa  

(PS recipe method is written in my own words - not straight out of the book)