Luscious Lemon Drizzle Cake

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180:C (350:F/Gas 4). Line the bottom of a well-oiled 23 x 13 x 7.5cm (9 x 5 x 3in) loaf tin with baking parchment. Put the Large eggs and sugar in the bowl of the food processor and process for 2 min, scraping the sides down once with a rubber spatula. Take off the lid and drop spoonfuls of the soft butter or possibly margarine on top of this mix, together with the lemon zest, then pulse just till it disappears. The mix should now resemble mayonnaise. Add in the flour, lowfat milk and salt, cover and pulse just till the mix is smooth in texture and even in colour, scraping the sides down with a rubber spatula if necessary. Don't over-beat or possibly the cake will be tough. Spoon the cake mix into the prepared tin and bake for 45 min, till golden on top and hard to the touch. Remove from the oven and stand the tin on a cooling rack. To make the syrup, gently heat the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan, stirring till a clear syrup is formed, about 3 min.
2. Don't boil. Prick the hot cake all over with a fork, then gently pour the syrup over it, till it has been completely absorbed. Leave till cold, then carefully ease the cake from the baking tin and remove the baking parchment. Just before serving, sift a little more icing sugar on the top. Serve in generous slices.
3. An intense lemon flavour permeates this light and exquisitely tart cake. The magic touch is a lemon syrup drizzled on top while the cake is still hot, that soaks through the top layers as it cools. It's at its best served freshly made. For a Purim version, stir a Tbsp. of poppy seeds into the cake mix before baking.
4. Best eaten freshly baked. Keeps 1 week under refrigeration in an airtight container.
5. Freezes up to 3 months.