Are your buns the best? Is your butter icing the cream of the crop? Your presentation the cherry on the top? Compete against other bakers to find out who really is the champ. Select between two categories: technical (recipe below) and freestyle.
Crunchy Top Lemon Cake
Makes 1 x 7 in (18 cm) cake
The crunchy topping can be used on traybakes and teabreads. The secret is to pour the lemon topping over the cake while it is still warm so that the lemon soaks in and the sugar stays on top.
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 oz (100 g) soft margarine
- 6 oz (175 g) caster sugar
- 6 oz (175 g) self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 extra large eggs
- 4 tablespoons milk
- finely grated rind of 1 lemon
For the Crunchy Topping
- juice of 1 lemon
- 4 oz (100 g) caster or granulated sugar
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4. Lightly grease and base line a 7 in (18 cm) deep round cake tin with greased greaseproof paper.
- Measure all the ingredients for the cake into a large bowl and beat well for about 2 minutes until smooth and well blended. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 35–40 minutes or until the cake has shrunk away from the sides of the tin and springs back when lightly pressed with a finger.
- Meanwhile, make the crunchy topping. Measure the lemon juice and sugar into a bowl and stir until blended.
- When the cake comes out of the oven, spread the topping over the cake while the cake is still hot. Leave in the tin until cold, then turn out and remove the paper.