Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (conventional) and line a loaf tin about 24 cm long with baking paper.
- Cream the soft butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture, add the lemon zest and mix briefly until the batter is even.
- Spoon the batter into the tin, level the top and bake on the middle shelf for 45 to 50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
- While the cake is still in the tin, stir together the lemon juice and sugar. Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork and slowly pour the drizzle over it.
- Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin so the drizzle soaks in and forms a crust on top, then lift it out and cut into slices.
Drink with it
Sweet wine · excellent match
Moscato d'Asti or Riesling Spätlese, well chilled
The wine's residual sweetness matches the sugar crust, while its acidity meets the lemon syrup and keeps the buttery crumb feeling light.
Which wine goes with dessert? Comparing sweetness deliberatelyFruit liqueur · excellent match
Limoncello, ice cold in small glasses
The same lemon zest in concentrated form; the cold takes the heaviness off the sweetness.
Sparkling wine · good match
Sekt or Crémant, demi-sec
Fine bubbles refresh the palate after the buttery crumb, and the residual sweetness stops the wine tasting sour next to the drizzle.
Sparkling wine, Champagne, and Prosecco: what's the difference?Wheat beer · good match
Witbier, well chilled
The coriander and orange peel in a Witbier extend the citrus freshness, and the carbonation lifts the buttery crumb.
Wheat Beer: Where Do Banana and Clove Come From?Floral gin · good match
Floral gin with tonic and a twist of lemon
The bitter tonic sets a counterpoint to the sugar glaze, while the citrus oils in the gin pick up the zest in the batter.
Gin styles: London Dry, Old Tom, Navy Strength, and more