This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
St. Clement’s Cake
INGREDIENTS
225g softened butter
225g golden caster sugar
Zest of unwaxed lemon
Zest of an orange
225g self raising flour (Alison used gluten-free flour and we couldn’t tell the difference)
Tsp baking powder
4 lightly beaten eggs
Lemon curd (you can make it yourself of course or, if you are lazy like me, just buy it in a jar)
150ml double cream, whipped (optional)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp orange juice
Icing sugar to decorate
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 170ºC / gas 3, and grease and line two 20 cm sandwich cake tins.
- Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, then add the grated lemon and lime zest. Sift the flour and baking powder into another bowl. Add the eggs to the creamed mixture but do this gradually, a little at a time, and add a tablespoonful of the flour for each egg to stop the mixture curdling. Beat it well after each addition. Using a metal spoon, gently fold in the remaining flour and baking powder, and then fold in as much lemon and orange juice as you need to give a soft, dropping consistency.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins and level the surface with a knife. Bake the cakes in the centre of the oven for about 25 minutes.
- Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool in their tins for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Once they are cold, spread with a generous layer of lemon curd, (and whipped cream if you are using) and sandwich the 2 cakes together. Sprinkle the top with icing sugar and serve.