I’ve made this cake countless times! It’s not only delicious it’s a very pretty cake that’s ideal for a garden party and just a catch up with friends. The recipe was sent to me by a friend who had seen it in an interiors magazine and asked if I would bake it for him. I did and I was so pleased with the results that I bought the book Simple by Diana Henry that I have also cooked from countless times!! 

The cake is best eaten on the day you bake it, if you have enough people or a few greedy friends this won’t be a problem, only crumbs will remain! Having said that I have made it and had some left and it was fine, I just wouldn’t recommend baking the day before you need it for a special occasion. It’s a simple cake so it’s easy to whip up on the day. The recipe works a treat.

Below is the recipe as it is in the book no tweaking but lots of tasting! Everything I have tried in the book has been a winner! …

So if you’ve got a girly catch up coming up this would be the perfect natter and party cake with a pot of tea or better still a glass of Prosecco!! 

You will need: I use a 900g loaf tin lined with a cake liner or butter and line the base with baking parchment. Preheat oven 180/ fan 160/gas mark 4

Ingredients:

• 125g unsalted butter, plus more for the tin
• 225g caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of 2 untaxed lemons
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temp
• 300g plain flour,sifted
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 115g natural yogurt 
• 200g raspberries

For the icing

• 150g icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• about 10 raspberries to decorate the top

Method:

Prep your tin. Beat together the butter and sugar until they are pale and fluffy, then add the lemon zest and vanilla. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Put a tbsp of the flour in a bowl to toss with raspberries later. Mix the remaining flour and baking powder together and fold this into the batter, alternating with spoonfuls of the yogurt.

Toss the raspberries with the reserved flour. Put one third of the batter into the loaf tin and half the raspberries, spreading them out evenly. Put another third of the batter on top, followed by the rest of the raspberries. Finish with the remaining batter.

Bake for one hour 15 minutes. Test with a skewer in the centre of the cake it should come out clean. Keep an eye on the cake whilst cooking, if it starts to brown too much during cooking, cover it with foil. Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out on to a wire rack to cool.

When ready mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice until smooth, you may have to add a little more lemon juice, just add a drop at a time. Spread about two thirds on the cake. Partly crush the 10 raspberries and add to the remaining  icing. Don’t completely mix them in. Pour over the cake. Leave it a little while before serving. I often add a few extra raspberries on the top.

Note: It is quite a thick batter so spread it carefully with a small palate knife or the back of a spoon.

You won’t be disappointed it looks so pretty and tastes delicious… just lovely.

Enjoy

Deb xx