It is a lovely time of year for enjoying a small slice of cake with a cup of tea in the late afternoon sun. Well, some of us show some restraint. Unfortunately Fanny always helps herself to gargantuan slices and drinks our home made Plum Vodka with hers!!!

Ingredients
225g butter –  softened
225g caster sugar
4 egg plus a yolk if you’re feeling decadent
2 lemons – zest finely grated ( I recommend doing this directly into the mix at the time)
225g self-raising flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
For the drizzle topping
juice of 2 lemons
100g caster sugar

Method

.    Heat oven to 150°C fan.

.    Beat together the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy, then add the  eggs one at a time,  mixing through after each one.

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Now sift in the flour -  I like to put half in first, mix, then the other half (it helps avoid flour storms…) and the baking powder –  next zest the lemon directly into the bowl, which ensures all the lemon oil (and therefore flavour) gets into the mix –  and combine well.

.    
Line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) with buttered greaseproof paper,  spoon in the mixture and level out the top.

.    Bake for 50-55 mins until a skewer inserted right into the cake comes out clean. While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the lemon juice  and the caster sugar to make the drizzle. Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork, then pour over the drizzle – the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a crisp sweet-tangy topping.

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Once the cake is completely cool, turn it out of the tin, slice and serve…