Lemon and Lime Drizzle

A lemon and lime drizzle cake needs to be two things. One, sharp and tangy. And two, wholesome and hearty. My recipe for a twist on the classic is both of those things, plus so much more. To achieve optimum sharpness it is packed with citrus flavours in both the sponge and the icing. Adding the juice of both the lemon and lime doesn't just make the cake sharp in flavour, it also makes the loaf moist, which is another thing a good drizzle cake should be. It is wholesome in its appearance, and well lets be honest, your going to cut yourself a big slice and whats not hearty in that? As the sun slowly disappears and September makes its stance, don't let it be an end to sunnier climates. Make this lemon and lime drizzle cake to stop the sunshine disappearing from in your life.

 Lemon and Lime Drizzle
(Makes one large loaf cake)
200g Butter
250g Caster Sugar
3 Eggs
Zest of half a lemon
Zest of half a lime
Juice of one lemon
250g Self Raising Flour
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
100ml Milk

For the icing:
250g Icing Sugar
Juice of half a lemon
Juice of half a lime
Zest of half a lemon
Zest of half a lime

Preheat the oven to 170C, Gas Mark 4. Line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper.

Put the butter, sugar and eggs into a large mixing bowl. Sift in the four and baking powder into the bowl, then pour in the milk, lemon and lime juice and the zest of both. Beat with a wooden spoon or an electric whisk until all the ingredients are combined and smooth. This should take around five minutes.

Transfer the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and spread evenly. Place in the oven until the cake is golden brown and firm, or until a skewer comes out clean. This should take around one hour.

Take the cake out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin completely.

Whilst the cake is cooling, place the icing sugar into a small mixing bowl and pour in the juice and zest of the lemon and lime. Whisk together until you have a thick runny paste, if your icing is still too runny, add a little more icing sugar.

When the cake is cooled completely, take it out of the tin and remove the greaseproof paper. Place on a serving plate of your choice and then pour the icing on top, allowing it to drip down the sides.

Cut into thick slices to serve. You can store the cake in an air tight container for up to three to four days.