Lovely Lemon Layer Cake

Last weekend was a busy one! I baked a whole load of my lovely lemony cupcakes along with a lovely lemon layer cake for my Mother-in-law's Birthday celebrations.

I whipped up some of Delia's lemon curd for the filling. It tastes much better than shop-bought and I have two jars left over to make yet more lemony delights over the next few weeks! I also made some small roses for decoration.

Everything survived the car journey and the Birthday girl loved her cakes. If you'd like to make a lovely lemon layer cake, here's my recipe:

Lovely Lemon Layer Cake

200g unsalted butter, softened

200g caster sugar

4 eggs

200g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

zest of 2 lemons

1 tsp lemon extract

1 tbsp ground almonds

For the filling:

lemon curd

Lemony icing:

100g unsalted butter, softened

350-400g icing sugar

1-2 tsp lemon extract

1-2 tbsp lemon juice

few drops yellow food colouring
sugar flowers

1. Grease and line two round 20cm sandwich tins, and preheat your oven to 190 degrees or 170 for fan ovens.
2. Use an electric mixer to beat together all the cake ingredients until smooth and creamy.
3. Divide the mixture between the two tins evenly and bake in the centre of the oven for 20-30 minutes.
4. To make the lemony icing beat the butter for a minute. Gradually add the icing sugar and continue to beat. Add the lemon extract, juice and a little yellow food colouring. Beat again until smooth and creamy.
5. Once the cakes have cooled slice each of them so you have four layers of cake. Spread lemon curd and/or lemony icing between each layer and slather the outside with icing.
6. Prettify with a few sugar flowers!

Lovely Lemony Cupcakes

After the chocolate and dinosaurs of last week it was time for something light and zingy. I loved the moist fluffy texture of the vanilla sponge layer of the choc-caramel cake, so I decided to use yogurt and ground almonds in my lemon cupcakes. 

As I couldn't decide between regular or mini cupcakes, I made both and decorated them with lovely lemony icing, sprinkles, hearts and candy slices. So cute.

Here's my recipe. It made 24 mini and 4 regular size cupcakes.

Lovely Lemony Cupcakes:
100g unsalted butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 large eggs
75g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
50g ground almonds
50ml natural yogurt
1 tsp good quality lemon extract
zest of two lemons

Lemony Icing:
100g unsalted butter, softened
350-400g icing sugar
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 or 2 tbsp lemon juice depending on how lemony you like it
few drops yellow food colouring (optional)

1. Heat your oven to 180 degrees or 160 for fan ovens
2. Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs one at a time and mix through.
3. Sift in the flour, baking powder, also adding the ground almonds, yogurt, lemon extract and zest. Mix until combined.
4. Spoon the mixture into your cupcake cases to about two thirds full.
5. Bake standard size for 20-25 minutes and mini cupcakes for 12-15 minutes then leave to cool on a wire rack.
6. For the lemony icing beat the butter with an electric mixer and gradually add 200g of the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add the lemon extract and juice, and then the remaining icing sugar until you have a smooth and creamy consistency. At this point add the food colouring, if using.
7. Pipe or spread onto your cupcakes and pop on some pretty sprinkles and decorations.
8. Enjoy one (or two) of your lovely little lemony delights.