Original recipe of the week: a Jubilee Celebration cake

Think “best of British” with a subtle twist. This lemon and lime drizzle cake is sure to help your Jubilee celebration go with a bang. An interesting take on the traditional lemon drizzle cake, the combination of the zingy notes of lemon and lime and the creaminess of the white chocolate cream cheese ganache beautifully emphasise the rich but light sponge to perfection. Serve with British tea-time favourites: a cuppa and some cucumber sandwiches to really get yourself in the mood.

Lemon and lime drizzle cake

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Preparation and finishing time: 3-4 hours or a day!

Serves 4-6

What you will need: 

175g unsalted butter (softened)

275g golden caster sugar

4 eggs

275g self raising flour

1 pinch of salt

Juice and zest of 2 lemons

200g icing sugar

3 tbsp water

150g cream cheese

Juice and zest of 3 limes

What you need to do:

1. Grease your cake tin and preheat the oven to 180c. Next, cream the softened butter in a bowl together with the sugar. When light and fluffy, add in the eggs one and a time, mixing as you go.
   

   

   

    

2. Slowly whisk to combine and add in the flour. Whisk together for a smooth and fluffy consistency. Add more liquid if it feels slightly dry.
3. Lastly, add the juice and zest of one lemon and fold to combine.
   

   

    

4. Add the mixture to the cake tin and place in the oven for 50 minutes, or until springy to the touch.
5. Take the cake out of the oven and leave to cool for five to ten minutes, then remove from the tin and place on a cooling rack until completely cool.
   

   

   
6. When cooled you can make the syrup. Mix 50g of the icing sugar with the water and the juice and zest of one lemon.
7. Pierce small holes in the top of your cake and spoon over the syrup mix. Repeat the pouring of the liquid once every two hours until you have none left.
   

   
8. If possible, leave the cake in a tin for about a day for the flavours to really soak in, but an hour will do if this is too long for you to wait!
9. Now you’re ready for the icing. Combine the cream cheese with the rest of the icing sugar and all of the lime juice and zest. Whisk with a hand held whisk so that you can easily control the cream cheese. If you over-whisk it can be a disaster, so please be careful at this stage. Whisk until just stiff and spoon on top of the cake. Smooth and slather to create a nice thick topping. Decorate with any left over zest and leave to set in the fridge for about an hour. Serve when you desire and enjoy within the next two days for the cake at it best!

 Bethany Stone