My father turned 80 last weekend and so we baked him a sticky lemon cake, and covered it with flowers from the garden, crystalized in sugar. He loved it. Here is the recipe, which comes from Fiona Cairns’s book Bake & Decorate.
Very lemony crunch cake. Serves 6 (In fact, it gave us 12 not too mean slices).
For the Cake
175g unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the tin
175g self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
2 eggs lightly beaten
175g golden caster sugar
zest, finely grated, and juice of 1 large unwaxed lemon
For the Topping
juice of 1 large lemon
100g white granulated sugar
Preheat the oven to 180 C/ fan 170 C/ 350 F/ gas mark 4.
Lightly butter an 18cm diameter, 7.5cm deep, round springform tin (I used a 20cm diameter. It was fine) and line the base and sides with baking parchment.
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in a small pan and set aside to cool slightly. Using the whisk attachement of an electric mixer, or a bowl and electric mix, beat the eggs and sugar together until very light and fluffy (this may take 5 minutes). Blend in the melted butter; then very gently fold in the flour and zest. Finally, slowly fold in the juice.
Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake springs back to the touch, or a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Meanwhile, make the crunchy topping by simply mixing the juice and sugar together in a small bowl. Immediately the cake comes from the oven, prick tiny holes all over it with a fine skewer or cocktail stick. Pour the lemon syrup evenly all over the surface. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
I iced the cake by sieving 150g icing sugar into a bowl and mixing it with between 1 and 2 tablespoons of water. You want it quite thick if you are going to add extra decorations and want it to look opaque, so be mean with the water. Smear the paste on the cake and let it dribble down the sides.
For the flower decorations: first pick your flowers. Edible ones like roses or geranium leaves are best, but finally it’s about the look not the taste of the flowers. Make sure the flowers are completely dry. Cover a tray or baking tray with greaseproof paper. Break up an egg white with a fork. It doesn’t need to be whisked, but you don’t want it too gloopy and thick. Using a child’s paint brush, paint every little individual bit of the flower, getting in and out of every petal and stamen. If you are slap dash it will show. Then, with equal delicacy, sprinkle caster sugar over the flower, making sure you get into every nook and cranny. Place each flower on the tray and when you have finished let them dry overnight in a warm place – an airing cupboard is ideal.
