Zesty Lemon Cake

These dainty and delicious little cakes wouldn't have looked out of place on Marie Antoinette's nightstand. Steal the show at your next tea party.

Ingredients:

  • 125 g butter or margarine, softened
  • 250 ml (1 cup) sugar
  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) lemon essence
  • 10 ml (2 tsp) grated lemon rind
  • 500 ml (2 cups) cake flour
  • 10 ml (2 tsp) baking powder
  • 1 ml (pinch) salt
  • 80 ml (1/3 cup) Spur Salad & French Fry Dressing
  • 100 ml milk

Glacé Icing:

  • 1L (4 cups) icing sugar
  • 30 ml (2 Tbsp) fresh lemon juice
  • 80 ml (1/3 cup) warm water
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) grated lemon rind
  • a few drops yellow food colouring

Instructions:

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until light and creamy. Add essence and lemon rind.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to butter mixture, alternating with Spur Salad & French Fry Dressing and milk. Mix well until smooth.

Turn out into a lined and greased 23 x 29 cm roasting or oven pan. Bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes. Cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into squares or any other shapes of your choice.

For the icing, sift icing sugar. Add lemon juice and enough water and whisk to a smooth, runny consistency. Add lemon rind and colouring. Ice the top of the cake squares on a wire rack, over a tray. Re-use icing that dripped into tray.

Variations:

Butter Cake: Bake in two greased, 20 cm cake pans for about 25 minutes.

Cake Pops: Use sponge and bake in silicone tray for round cake pops. Increase icing sugar to 4 cups and water to about 80 ml (1/3 cup). Makes about 6 cake pops.