Lemon Drizzle Loaf with Crunchy Sugar Crust & Caramelised Lemon
Ingredients
Cake
225 g unsalted butter, softened
225 g caster sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
225 g self-raising flour
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
Tin
About 15 g soft butter
35–40 g demerara sugar
Crunchy lemon drizzle
40 g fresh lemon juice
100 g granulated sugar
Candied caramelised lemons
1 small unwaxed lemon
100 g caster sugar
100 ml water
10–15 g caster or granulated sugar, for caramelising
Method
Start the lemon slices first. Slice the small lemon into rounds about 3 mm thick, remove the seeds, and select the slices you want to use for decoration.
Put 100 g caster sugar and 100 ml water into a wide pan and bring to the boil. Add the lemon slices, reduce to a steady gentle simmer, and cook for 10–15 minutes, until the flesh and white pith look translucent.
Transfer the lemon slices to a wire rack to drain and dry.
Heat the oven to 180°C conventional / 160°C fan.
Use the loaf tin without parchment. Butter it with about 15 g soft butter, coat with 35–40 g demerara sugar, and tip out the excess. Optionally chill for 10 minutes.
Beat 225 g softened butter and 225 g caster sugar for 3–5 minutes, until paler and fluffy.
Beat in the 4 eggs one at a time.
Add the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 tsp vanilla extract and mix briefly.
Fold in 225 g self-raising flour and stop as soon as no dry flour remains.
Spoon the batter carefully into the tin so as not to disturb the sugar coating. Gently level it and fill the tin only 2/3 full.
Bake on the middle shelf, checking from 35 minutes, until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Near the end of baking, briefly mix 40 g fresh lemon juice with 100 g granulated sugar, keeping it gritty.
When the cake comes out of the oven, leave it in the tin for about 5 minutes, then prick the top deeply with a thin skewer.
Briefly stir the drizzle and spoon it over the hot cake, leaving visible sugar crystals on top. Keep it mostly off the sides.
Leave the cake for about 8–10 minutes, loosen the edges, turn it out, and cool completely on a rack.
Check the candied lemon slices. They should be translucent, flexible, no longer dripping, and tacky.
Put the candied lemon slices on a plate and sprinkle one side lightly with 10–15 g caster or granulated sugar.
Heat a good non-stick frying pan over medium to medium-high heat. Put the lemon slices in sugared-side down and cook until caramelised, with deep amber or dark caramel patches.
Transfer the slices to baking parchment and leave to cool.
Once both the loaf and lemon slices are completely cool, arrange the caramelised lemon slices along the central crack.
