birthday lemon cake

ingredients

170g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
170g caster sugar, plus extra to serve
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon
4 eggs
120g plain flour, sifted

50g fine cornmeal
Pinch of salt
3/4 tsp baking powder

method

1.                 Preheat the oven to 170C/gas mark 4.

2.                 Butter a 225g non-stick loaf tin (about 12 x 20cm) or a 20cm-diameter round cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.

3.                 Beat together butter, sugar, and lemon zest in a food processor and until fluffy.

4.                 Add one egg at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next.

5.                 Add the lemon juice, then the flour, salt and baking powder

6.                 Spoon the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for about an hour or until golden and springy. If the cake is browning too quickly, loosely cover the top with foil but remember to remove it shortly before the end of cooking. Test the cake by inserting a skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.

7.                 Put the cake tin on a wire rack and leave for 15 minutes. Then remove the cake from the tin and sprinkle with caster sugar. Leave to cool.

Keeps well, so if not eaten on the day of cooking, when cold, tightly wrap in foil and leave for a day or two.