Lemon Cake

This is my mum's very slight variation on a recipe found in an old cookbook of hers called The Edmonds Cookery Book. The recipe is called Orange Cake, we make it with lemons instead of oranges but that is the only real difference. Still, it is delicious. 

The cookery book was first published in 1908 (then called The Sure to Rise Cookery Book) and was actually used as a marketing tool to try and sell Edmonds Baking Powder. (Which explains why they suggest you use their baking powder throughout the cookbook. When my mum was a little girl she actually believed if you didn't use Edmonds Baking Powder your cakes wouldn't work. Which I think is quite cute.) It's a New Zealand cookery book, and still remains a bestseller over there apparently. This used to be my favourite cake as a child, I always used to insist my mum made it. I'm still very fond of it.

Recipe:

175g (6 oz.) Butter

175g (6 oz.) Sugar
Grated Rind of 1 Lemon (or 1 Orange like the original recipe)
3 Eggs
175g (6 oz.) Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder - perhaps you'd like to try Edmonds ;)

1. Cream butter and sugar, add lemon rind. 

2. Beat eggs until thick and add alternately with sifted flour and baking powder. 

3. Bake about 1 hour at 180°C (350°F) in a 178mm (7 inch) square tin (note from Lucy: clearly it doesn't have to be a square tin, why not make a round cake, like I did above!). Use lemon juice to make the icing. 

And that is all the instructions you get. Well, you can't say they faff around! For the icing, just put a small amount of butter along with some icing sugar and the juice from a lemon and mix until you have the right consistency and amount. I'm afraid I don't ever measure, I just play it be ear and see how I go. Decorate as you see fit. Sprinkles, little jelly oranges and lemons, dolly mixtures, anything goes!

Difficulty rating: 4/10. I've found this to be an easy enough cake to make. :) 

Success rating: 7/10. I always like how this cake has come out. No failures so far! 

This recipe is not my own, all credit goes to Edmonds Cookery Book. It's not currently available on amazon in the UK, but you'll be able to get hold of it in New Zealand. Happy Baking.

Next time: American Brownies, Delia Style!