Citrus Cake with Lemon Glaze Icing
SHORT DESCRIPTION
This citrus cake works well with orange, lime, or lemon. If substituting orange or lime juice in the batter, use the same fruit for the icing as well.
DESCRIPTION
- Grease and line a loaf pan (approx 23cm x 12cm x 6cm). Pre-heat oven to moderate 180ºC (350ºF)
- Sieve or whisk the flour, baking powder (if using), and salt. Mix lemon zest through the flour.
- Cream together sugar and butter (if it’s too hard cut into 1cm cubes before mixing) until well pale, fluffy, and well creamed (about 5 minutes).
- Break the eggs into a cup to ensure freshness then beat lightly (if you beat eggs too hard they will ‘toughen’ the mix).
- Add the egg a little at a time to the creamed mix while beating at low speed. Then add vanilla and lemon juice.
- Fold in a third of the flour, then half the milk, then a third flour, and half milk, finishing with the remaining flour. Now is the time to mix in 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds if desired. The mixture should have a soft dropping consistency.
- Scrape mix into the loaf pan, and bake for 45-55 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool in the tin for 10-15 mins before turning onto a rack to cool completely.
- Icing: Once the cake is cool make the icing by combining icing sugar, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon milk then mixing well until creamy. Add more milk as required so it has a pouring consistency without being too wet – you want to be able to pour over the cake without it all running off onto the plate. Sprinkle top with more zest if desired. Let dry and harden before serving.
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ cups Kialla Self Raising Unbleached Flour
- 1½ tsp Baking Powder (not necessary if using Self-Raising Flour)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (use an organic fruit as there will be no pesticides on the skin)
- ½ cup of butter (room temperature but not melted)
- 1 cup sugar. Caster sugar will make a lighter textured cake but if not available granulated sugar is fine.
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (about half a lemon)
- ½ cup of milk
ICING: - 1 cup Organic Icing Sugar
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 tbsp milk
