Lemon Drizzle Traybake

Hey guys! 

Saturday has finally rolled around *phew* it's been a long week. What better way to spend a Saturday than to bake a delicious lemon drizzle cake to welcome your father home! My last blog post was also about food to welcome my parents home, but this time my mum made some amazing rice/curry and left the dessert to me as it was just my father who had gone away on another business trip (so I didn't have to do as much cooking as last time *woo* =P)

The recipe I used came from the infamous Mary Berry. Boy, was it deliciously tangly, sweet and best of all, extremely easy to make. 

Here is the recipe: 

Ingredients:

225g softened butter

225g caster sugar

275 self raising flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons of milk

4 large eggs (I used 5 medium sized) 

Finely grated rind of 2 lemons 

For the crunchy topping:

Juice of 2 lemons

175g granulated sugar

Preparation time: about 10 minutes

Cooking time: about 35-40 minutes

Cuts into about 30 squares

1. Cut a rectangle of non-stick baking parchment  to fit the base and sides of a traybake tin or roasting tin, 30 x 23 x 4 cm (12 x 9 x 1 ½ inches). Grease the tin and then line with the paper, pushing it neatly into the corners of the tin. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas 3.
   
   
2. Measure all the ingredients for the traybake into a large bowl and beat well for about 2 minutes until well blended, an electric mixer is best for this but of course you can also beat by hand with a wooden spoon. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping the sides of the bowl with a plastic spatula to remove all of the mixture. Level the top gently with the back of the spatula.
   
   
3. Bake in the middle of the pre-heated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the traybake springs back when pressed lightly with a finger in the centre and is beginning to shrink away from the sides of the tin.
   
   
4. Allow the traybake to cool in the tin for a few minutes then lift the traybake out of the tin still in the lining paper. Carefully remove the paper and put the traybake onto a wire rack placed over a tray (to catch drips of the topping).
   
   
5. To make the crunchy topping, mix the lemon juice and granulated sugar in a small bowl to give a runny consistency. Spoon this mixture evenly over the traybake whilst it is still just warm. Cut into about squares when cold.

The batter itself is delicious, you'll want to lick the entire bowl not that I did... ; )

I hope you're having a lovely weekend, I had a nice relaxed Saturday re-watching Iron Man 3, baking and spending time with my dad who also gifted me with this super cute ring from Swarovski on his way back from Poland. Luurv it! 

Ciao for now! 

Maryam