Easy Peasy Easter Cake Recipe
To balance out the looming Easter chocolate mountain coming our way, we are delighted to share our classic Lemon Cake recipe with you. It’s a fabulously fruity alternative to the chocolate brownies, eggs, and hampers that can prove just a tad predictable! This easy bake tastes deliciously zingy and fresh, keeps really well and just so happens to be gluten free to boot. The original version can be found in our Honeybuns Baking book. This time around I’ve taken the opportunity to simplify the gluten free ingredients. I’ve also included alternative flour swaps and show you how to make a dairy free version. Remember to check out the Top Tips at the end of this post to ensure you get the most from this super versatile recipe.
Photo by Cristian Barnett
Makes 1 x 450 g/1 lb loaf cake
Portions 6-8 chunky slices
Cook for 45–50 minutes
Store for 5-7 days in an airtight tin, wrapped in foil. Freezes well.
The gluten free Ingredients you need for the cake
175 g/6 oz butter, plus extra, melted, for brushing. (Or make it dairy free and use a vegan “butter” like Flora).
Finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons
Juice of 1 lemon
2 free range eggs
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
150 g/5½ oz granulated sugar
120 g/2¼ oz ground almonds (Go nut free: use Linwoods milled seed blends instead)
60 g sorghum flour, plus extra for dusting. (Flour swaps: Doves gluten free plain flour, polenta or tapioca flour would all work well).
1 tsp lemon oil (not to be confused with extract which will contain ethanol/alcohol and/or water).
Lemon Drench Ingredients
50 g/1¾ oz granulated sugar (plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling)
Juice of 1 lemon
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3.
Line a 450 g/1 lb loaf tin with baking parchment, then brush with melted butter and dust with gluten free flour.
Melt the butter with the lemon zest, but don’t let it get too hot. Stir well, then add the lemon juice and stir again.
Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add the baking powder, sugar, almonds, gluten free flour of choice and lemon oil.
Add the melted butter and zest mixture to the mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, begin beating at low speed, then at high speed until the mixture is smooth like a batter and a rich yellow colour.
Spoon the mixture into the tin and bang it firmly on a work surface to get rid of air pockets.
Bake for 30 minutes, then check and cover the cake with baking parchment if it is getting too dark.
Bake for a further 15–20 minutes, until springy to the touch. A flat cake skewer will come out clean when the cake is ready. It is quite normal for this cake to crack open along the top.
Leave the cake in its tin and, while it’s still very warm, pierce all over with a skewer – don’t worry about damaging it; you can go three-quarters of the way down into the cake. The more holes, the juicier the cake will be.
To make the lemon drench, stir the sugar into the lemon juice and spoon over the warm cake. Use the back of the spoon to smooth the syrup over the top of the cake – this will help it seep into the holes. Leave for 10 minutes, then sprinkle the top of the cake with granulated sugar. Leave the cake to cool completely before you take it out of its tin.
For extra ‘ooh-la-la’ cut the loaf in half lengthways & spread the cake generously with lemon curd.
You can also Compost the eggshells and lemon skins.
Serving suggestions
This cake is delicious just as it is, or you can warm it through and serve it with crème fraîche and a dollop of homemade lemon curd – transporting you to lemon heaven.
For a quick and easy trifle style pudding, simply line individual trifle bowls with thin slices of lemon cake. You can pre soak the cake slices in your favourite tipple. Gin and tonic, Limoncello and Prosecco all work well. Add drained, tinned mandarin slices (or fruit of your choice), then add a dollop of lemon curd and top with crème fraiche, some meringue pieces and lemon zest.
This dessert recipe is featured in our Honeybuns All Day Cook Book.
Easter Last order reminders
You can order up to and including the 12th April for Easter UK delivery. Shop our delicious gluten free goodies and ethical gift sets here. Each and every order helps us to continue doing what we love – baking scrumptious treats for you.
Top Tips
– You need to work quickly when mixing the ingredients or the mixture can become stodgy and the lemon loses its zing.
– Pure lemon oil is produced in a similar way to olive oil. The lemon zest is pressed to extract the oil. Nothing is then added to it. Lemon extracts are less pure and usually have added water and ethanol/alcohol. The issue is that lemon oil can be tricky to find in the UK and also expensive. You can instead add an extra zest of 1 lemon instead.
-For advice on the best vegan butters to bake with – see our previous Easter baking blog https://www.honeybuns.co.uk/Blogs/Em-s-Blog/Easy-gluten-free-baking-recipes-for-Easter
– Seeking Easter table decorating ideas?
– A drizzle of white chocolate looks and tastes great. Wait for your cake to cool completely before adding this topping.
– For an extra pretty Easter afternoon tea, try a scattering of blue cornflowers over your cake. We love Dorset based Pollys Petals.
Wishing you and your loved ones a truly Hoppy Easter from us all here at Honeybuns.
Comment and share what you thought of this recipe! Be sure to share this delicious recipe with a friend too! Thanks for reading!
– Emma Goss Custard
If you have any questions, do get in touch via this blog in the comments section, or via facebook, email or telephone.
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