Lemon Drizzle Traybake
This lemon drizzle traybake is a moreish treat. From Mary Berry's Simple Cakes, this recipe transforms the timeless lemon drizzle cake into bite sized pieces.
From the book
Simple Cakes
Classic tea-time treats
Mary's easiest cakes
Stunning desserts
Introduction
This really is our top favourite. It is always moist and crunchy. The cake needs to be still warm when the topping is added so that it absorbs the lemon syrup easily, leaving the sugar on top. Do allow the cake to cool a little though – if it is too hot, the syrup will tend to run straight through.
Ingredients
| 225 g (8 oz) | butter, softened |
| 225 g (8 oz) | caster sugar |
| 275 g (10 oz) | self-raising flour |
| 2 tsp | baking powder |
| 4 | eggs |
| 4 tbsp | milk |
| finely grated zest of 2 lemons | |
| For the crunchy topping: | |
| 175 g (6 oz) | granulated sugar |
| juice of 2 lemons |
Essential kit
You will need a traybake or roasting tin, 30 x 23 x 4 cm (12 x 9 x 1½ in).
Method
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35–40 minutes
1. Cut a rectangle of non-stick baking parchment to fit the tin. Grease the tin and then line with the paper, pushing it neatly into the corners. Preheat the oven to 160°C/ 325°F/Gas Mark 3. 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.
2. Bake in the middle of the oven for 35–40 minutes, 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. Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then lift the cake out of the tin still in the lining paper. Carefully remove the paper and put the cake on to a wire rack placed over a tray (to catch drips of the topping).
3. To make the crunchy topping, mix the granulated sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl to give a runny consistency. Spoon this mixture evenly over the traybake while it is still just warm. Cut into 30 squares when cold.
