Easter Lemon Cake

One of my favourite lemon drizzle cakes dressed for Easter.

Ingredients 

• 225g/8oz butter (or low-fat spread if you prefer), softened
• 225g/8oz caster sugar

• 225g/8oz self raising flour, sifted 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• zest of 1 lemon
• 4 medium size eggs

      For the drizzle topping

• juice of 1 lemon
• 85g caster sugar

 Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/ Fan160C/Gas Mark 4. Grease a (20cm) round, deep loose-based tin and line with baking parchment.
2. Place the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl. Use an electric whisk to beat the butter and sugar together until they are pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, whisking well between additions and adding 2 tbsp of the flour with the last egg - this will prevent curdling.
3. Sift over the remaining flour, then gently fold in with a metal spoon along with 2 tbsp hot water. Spoon into the prepared tin, level the surface and bake for 45-50 mins or until it is shrinking away from the sides of the tin. A fine skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 mins.
4. Squeeze the lemon juice, then sieve to remove the bits. Use the fine skewer to prick the cake all over, pour over the syrup, then sprinkle over the sugar before removing the cake from the tin. Serve in wedges.

You could decorate the cake with icing (icing sugar and lemon juice) and chocolate mini-eggs for Easter.