Lemon and chocolate cake (appreciated by delinquent dogs as well as humans)
Line a 7" x 5" loaf tin with baking paper and pre-heat the oven to 180/350/Gas 4. Beat together the following ingredients: 125g/ 4.5oz. unsalted butter, 125g/ 4.5oz. caster sugar, 2 large eggs, 150g/ 5oz. self-raising flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, grated rind of a large lemon, approx. 2 tblsps. milk - enough to give a dropping consistency. Fold in 75g/ 3oz. dark chocolate which has been either chopped into chunks or grated. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for about 40 minutes until springy to touch in the centre; (for 'fast' Agas, put the tin on the grid shelf on the lowest set of runners in the baking oven ).
On removing the cake from the oven, leave it in its tin and skewer holes in the top, piercing well down. Dissolve 50g/ 2oz. granulated sugar in the juice of the lemon and pour over. Leave to cool before turning out.
Josceline Dimbleby gives an excellent wholemeal version of this in her "Puddings, Desserts and Savouries" - she omits the chocolate and boils the lemon juice and sugar for 30 seconds before drenching the cake with the resulting syrup, and she suggests serving it warm with cream.
Thanks for the recipe. You know now that I look at it, chocolate brown and a beautiful lemon yellow would be a great combo in dressing!
I like the idea of serving it warm with whipped cream and a good hot cup of tea! All served in front of the Aga, with eyes kept squarely on Mollie!
Posted by: Peg | 31 January 2007 at 09:05 PM
After seeing your previous posts on recipes from this book. I hunted a copy down in Oxfam and am planning this cake and the Chocolate Beetroot on on Saturday. They look so yummy.
Posted by: Debbie | 01 February 2007 at 08:07 AM
mmm, cake.....
Posted by: Dee | 01 February 2007 at 10:31 AM
Because the word "chocolate" appears in this post, maybe it's not too far off topic to report that my family went nuts over your brownie recipe. The search for the perfect brownie is now over.
If others would like to try these, see this blog's archives for 02 Sept, 2006, or the first post in the Baking category.
Once it was clear that the chocolate was to be semi-sweet or bitter sweet--I used half of each--and that caster sugar can be simulated by running granulated sugar through the food processor for a few seconds, the rest was easy.
These are fudgy, fast-disappearing brownies, and the ground almonds are delish.
Posted by: Fay Sheco | 01 February 2007 at 08:30 PM
Thank you for the recipe - made the cake at the weekend. Absolutely lovely - enjoyed by family and friends.
Posted by: Dawn | 05 February 2007 at 09:11 AM