As someone who loves Mary Berry's recipes, I've tried a plethora of them over the last 10 years. However, I've always wondered what her old recipes were like, so I recently purchased her 1994 Ultimate Cake Book. There's a variety of simple cake recipes, including her crunchy top lemon cake.
The recipe notes said: "The same crunchy topping can be used on traybakes and teabreads. The secret is to pour the crunchy topping over the cake while it is still warm so that the lemon soaks in and the sugar stays on top." I've baked this cake so many times, it's become a family favourite.
Ingredients:For the cake:
100g soft margarine
175g caster sugar
175g self-raising flour
One teaspoon of baking powder
Two eggs
Four tablespoons of milk
Finely grated rind of one lemon
For the crunchy topping:
Juice of one lemon
100g caster sugar
Method:Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan and lightly grease and line a 20cm deep round cake tin with baking paper.
Measure all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat well for about 2 minutes, until smooth.
Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface with a spoon or spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the cake has sunk slightly from the edges and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Measure out the lemon juice and caster sugar into a bowl and stir until combined. While the cake is still hot, spread the lemon paste over the top.
Leave the cake in the tin until cold, then turn it out, remove the paper and enjoy.
This is one of my favourite cake recipes, and I've made it many times. The sponge was fluffy and delicate, while the crunchy topping added a glorious texture.
I loved how easy it was to make, and how Mary recommends mixing all of the ingredients at once.
