This is a great cake: it will become your go-to recipe for all the traybakes needed for fetes, coffee mornings, friends moving house, etc. The all-in-one method of making, whisked in one bowl, is minimum fuss and super quick. It’s easy to ice, transport and will freeze well too, making it a great standby to tuck in the freezer.
MAKES 24 squares
COOK TIME 30-35 minutes, plus cooling
225g (8oz) cold baking spread, plus extra for greasing
225g (8oz) caster sugar
275g (10oz) self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder (see tips)
4 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp lemon curd
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
FOR THE ICING
3-4 tbsp lemon juice
250g (9oz) icing sugar, sifted
finely grated zest of 1 lemon (see tips)
1 You will need a 23cm x 30cm (9in x 12in) traybake or roasting tin. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, then grease the tin with baking spread and line the base with baking paper.
2 Place all the ingredients for the cake into a large bowl and use an electric hand whisk to beat well for about 2 minutes until well blended. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top.
3 Bake in the oven for about 30-35 minutes or until the cake has shrunk from the sides of the tin and springs back when pressed lightly in the middle with your fingertips. Leave to cool in the tin.
4 Meanwhile, make the icing. In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon juice and icing sugar to give a runny consistency. Use a palette knife to spread out evenly over the cake, sprinkle with the lemon zest and leave to set before cutting into pieces to serve.
PREPARE AHEAD
♥ Can be made up to a day ahead and kept in an airtight container.
FREEZE
♥ The cake freezes well without the icing.
MARY’S CLASSIC TIPS
♥ To ensure a lovely level top for the icing, be careful to measure the baking powder accurately – too much and the batter will rise up too quickly and sink on cooling.
♥ For longer pieces of rind in attractive, curled shapes, use a lemon zester/canelle knife rather than a grater, if you prefer.