Lemon Sponge
By Hot Numbers Coffee

Courtesy of Afternoon Tease

Ingredients

350g unsalted butter
350g golden caster sugar
6 eggs
350g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
Grated zest of 4 lemons
Splash of milk
 
For the lemon syrup you need…
 
Juice of 2 lemons
50g caster sugar
 
For the lemon curd buttercream icing you need…
 
100g unsalted butter, softened
200g icing sugar
2 tbsp good quality lemon curd
Juice of half a lemon
 
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees and grease and line the bases of 2 x 8 inch cake tins.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add one egg at a time and with each one add a small amount of sifted flour and baking powder. Mix well after each addition and continue doing this until you’ve added all 6 eggs and all of the flour.
4. Stir in the lemon zest. At this point you need to use your judgement and if you feel that the cake mixture’s looking a bit thick, add a splash of milk until it is smooth and of thick dropping consistency.
5. Divide the mixture between the 2 cake tins as evenly as possibly and pop them in the oven.
6. Whilst your cakes are cooking you need to whip up your lemon syrup. Simply squeeze the juice from 2 lemons into a bowl and stir in the suagr until it has dissolved. Set aside for later.
7. Check on your cakes after 30 minutes by inserting a skewer into the centre of them, if it comes out clean it’s ready, if not, pop them back in and check them after another 5 minutes (don’t forget, this part is crucial).
8. When you’re happy that they’re cooked, remove them from the oven and stand them on a wire rack. Use a skewer to make some holes in the cake and then pour over the lemon syrup. This’ll make the cakes even more moist and delicious…