Lemon drizzle kicks

Lemon cake Nirvana

I love lemon, I love cake and I love loafing on a lazy Portuguese Sunday afternoon. So what better than a lemon drizzle cake to occupy me.With a basket load of lemons from the garden and a copy of Nigella on the kitchen counter I set about getting some drizzle kicks with a great Portuguese bake off. The lovely loafiness of this cake is a winner.Simple, not overly rich and but with an amazing lemon flavour, it is so delicious and moreish. Each slice laden with a light lovely meltiness that leaves you wanting more.

Lemon Drizzle loaf

You will need a 450g loaf tin buttered and lined

125g unsalted butter

175g caster sugar

2 large eggs

Zest of 1 large lemon

175g self-raising flour

pinch of salt

4 tablespoons milk

FOR THE LEMON DRIZZLE

juice of 1and a half lemons (4 tablespoons)

100g icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4. Butter and line the loaf tin.Cream together the butter and sugar in the food processor, add the eggs and lemon zest, beating them in well.Add the flour and salt,folding in gradually,and finally the milk.spoon into the prepared loaf tin and put in the oven.While the cake is in the oven,make the syrup; put the lemon juice and sugar into a small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. bake the cake for 45 minutes,or until golden, risen in the middle( though it will sink a little on cooling) and a cake skewer comes out clean.As soon as you have taken the cake out of the oven, puncture the top of the loaf all over with the same skewer.Pour over the syrup,trying to let the middle absorb it as well as the sides, then leave it to soak up the rest.Don´t attempt to take the cake out out of the tin until it is completely cold., as it will be sodden with syrup and will crumble.