Lemon Butter Cake

This is light, fluffy and very buttery cake, flavoured with lemon zest. It is similar, in some ways to Castella cake which is very popular in Japan, but not quite the same.  The idea is to mix butter and sugar for quite a while until it is all very light and fluffy, with lots on air beaten in,  That then becomes the basis of the cake with eggs, flour and milk added.  Vanilla extract can be added too to give extra flavour.

Since the recipe only uses the zest from two lemons that flavour it there, but not overpowering.  This sort of can can be eaten by itself, but is also very good as a dessert, severed with some fruit compote or something similar.

I am very pleased with how my cake turned out, it was nice and light and had a lovely texture and flavour. It did take the full 60 minutes to bake.

Lemon Butter Cake – Video

Ingredients:

• 250g (2 sticks + 2 tbsp)unsalted butter, softened.
• 5 medium eggs(large in USA)
• 200g(1 cup) caster sugar, granulated would be fine too.
• 230g(1 7/8 cup) Cake/Pastry flour(or plain)
• 50ml(1/4 cup less 1 dessert spoon) milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• zest from two lemons
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F.
2. Grease and line an 8 inch/20cm square cake tin.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer place the butter and sugar.
4. Whisk on high speed until the mixture has gone almost white and is nice and fluffy, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the lemon zest.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time and whisk until fully combined.
7. Change the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment.
8. Mix the baking powder into the flour.
9. Add the flour in about 4 additions, beating on slow speed, and scraping down the bowl inbetween, until just nicely combined.
10. Add the milk and vanilla extract and beat until just combined.
11. Scrape the batter into the cake tin and spread across the base, levelling the top.
12. Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until a skewer in the centre comes out clean and the top is a nice golden brown. Mine took a full 60 minutes.
13. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for at least ten minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.