Take pleasure in a slice of lemon cake for afternoon tea. With beautiful gentle sponge layers, a citrus zing offsets the wealthy and creamy comfortable cheese icing

• Preparation and cooking time
  • Prep:50 minutes
  • Cook dinner:35 minutes
  • plus cooling and 1 hr setting
• Simple
• Serves 8 – 10

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Substances

• 225g unsalted butter, softened
• 225g caster sugar
• 4 giant eggs
• 225g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 75g pure yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
• 3 lemons, zested

For the drizzle

• 150g granulated sugar
• 3 lemons, zest of two pared into strips, juiced (you’ll want 60ml)

For the icing

• 150g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g icing sugar, sieved
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
• 300g full-fat comfortable cheese

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Technique

• STEP 1

  Warmth the oven to 180C/160C fan/gasoline 4 and line the bottom of two 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar collectively for 3 minutes utilizing an electrical whisk till clean and fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one, beating nicely between every addition and scraping down the edges of the bowl. Fold within the flour and baking powder till nicely included, then fold within the yogurt, vanilla and lemon zest. Divide between the tins and bake for 30-35 minutes till golden and a skewer inserted into the middles comes out clear.

• STEP 2

  In the meantime, make the drizzle. Tip the sugar, lemon juice and 100ml water right into a small pan set over a medium warmth and stir till dissolved. Add the lemon zest, carry to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes till the zest has softened and the liquid is syrupy. Take away the zest to a sheet of baking parchment utilizing a slotted spoon, and take away the syrup from the warmth.

• STEP 3

  Go away the sponges to chill for 10 minutes within the tins, then pour over the nice and cozy drizzle. Go away to chill utterly.

• STEP 4

  For the icing, beat the butter and icing sugar collectively utilizing an electrical whisk for 4-5 minutes till clean, scraping down the edges of the bowl as you go. Add the vanilla and comfortable cheese and beat for 4 minutes extra till thick and creamy. Don’t fear if it doesn’t look thick at first – it should loosen, then thicken once more as you beat it.

• STEP 5

  Take away the cooled sponges from the tins. Spoon the icing right into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Put one sponge on a cake stand or serving plate, and pipe just below half the icing across the edge utilizing a round movement for a wavy impact. Pipe a little bit extra icing over the empty center (this doesn’t have to be neat) and clean with the again of a spoon. Chill for 45 mins-1 hr till set. Prime with the second sponge, then pipe eight blobs of icing across the edge at common intervals, leaving a spot between every. Spoon the candied lemon zest into every hole, then serve.