LITTLE LEMON CAKES

These are a small cake for the summer really, but after all the Christmas wining and dining I thought a hit of lemon would be just the thing to kickstart the new year. The photograph was taken just after the lemon syrup was poured onto the cakes and before the syrup had soaked into the little cakes.

FALLING CLOUDBERRIES BY TESSA KIROS

ISBN 9781740453646 - PAGE 261

Serves: 6 people.

Skill Level: Easy

Taste Test: Light, fluffy and a good hit of lemon.

I had a lemon left over from Christmas, hence this recipe was made.

You will need six 185ml well buttered and floured ramekins or a 20cm tin. I find Cake Release from www.lakelandlimited.co.uk a brilliant product and cakes come out of tins very easily if you use this.

100g slightly softened butter
100g caster sugar
1 large egg separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100g plain flour, sifted
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon baking powder
60ml milk
juice of half a lemon

Icing:
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
50g icing sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C/350° F/Gas 4.
2. Cream the butter and sugar for a few minutes, then add the egg yolk and vanilla and whisk in well. Add the sifted flour, lemon rind and baking powder and fold in with a large metal spoon to incorporate it all. Pour in the milk and lemon juice and stir well. With clean beaters, whisk the egg white in a small bowl until it is very white and fluffy, then fold it into the cake mixture with a metal spoon.
3. Drop 2 heaped tablespoons of the mixture into each ramekin, ensuring that the base is covered and the mixture is even. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cakes are deep golden and a bit crusty on the top, but still soft to touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Put the ramekins on a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the cakes by putting a knife down the side of each ramekin and lifting them out.
4. To make the icing, whisk the lemon juice and icing sugar together until smooth and fairly thick, adding a little more of either if it seems necessary. Put the cooled cakes on a flat plate, make a few holes with a skewer in the top of each one and dribble the icing over the top.
5. I served these with Greek yogurt.

Even if you don't cook anything from the book, buy it just to look at the wonderful photographs and read the text.

Kitchen Equipment Used: Kenwood Hand Mixer