St Clement’s Drizzle Cake.

This cake was this month's challenge set by Rosie and Maria at Sweet and Simple bakes. I have seen various drizzle cake recipes on different blogs but until this challenge I hadn't made one. I don't really know why as I love citrus flavours in cake. This spurred me into action and it is an absolutely gorgeous cake. Feather light and beautifully sticky with more than a hint of citrus. I did cheat a little as I did it in the food processor. Just threw everything in and whizzed. I added 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to compensate for this short cut. It turned out perfectly and keeps very well. Couldn't be quicker or easier. Thank you Rosie and Maria for another great bake.

St Clement’s Drizzle Cake

Ingredients
175g/6oz caster (superfine) sugar
175g/6oz softened butter
Grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
Grated zest and juice of 1 large orange
4 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
175g/6oz self-raising flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 180.C/fan 160.C/355.F/gas 4.

Grease and line the base of 1 large (900g) or 2 small (450g) loaf tins.

Place the caster sugar, butter and zest of the lemon and orange in a bowl and beat together until pale and creamy. Add the milk, and then beat in the eggs, one at a time, with a spoon of flour to prevent the mixture from curdling. Mix in the remaining flour. Spoon into the prepared tin/tins and level the surface flat.

Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes for a large cake or 30 minutes for the smaller cakes until they are golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.

While the cake is cooking, place the lemon and orange juice in a saucepan, bring to the boil and allow to reduce in quantity to about 3 tablespoons. Leave to cool, and then stir in the granulated sugar so it just starts to dissolve.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, prick several times with a skewer, then slowly pour the lemon and orange sugar all over the top, letting it soak into the cake. Leave to cool completely in the tin before turning out and cutting into slices to serve.