Woman’s Weekly UK – 06 August 2019

Lemon, thyme and poppy seed cake

You need to make this the day before eating but it keeps, wrapped, for up to three days before decorating.

SERVES 8-10
✿ 3tbsp milk
✿ 3 eggs
✿ 2tsp vanilla extract
✿ 150g (5oz) self-raising
flour
✿ 150g (5oz) caster sugar
✿ 1tsp baking powder
✿ 2 lemons, juice and zest
✿ 3tbsp poppy seeds
✿ 185g (6½oz) unsalted
butter, softened
For the lemon syrup:
✿ 75g (2½oz) caster sugar
✿ 65ml (2fl oz) lemon juice

✿ Good handful of lemon

thyme sprigs

To decorate:

✿ Lemon glacé icing*

✿ Strips of lemon zest

✿ Edible flowers and fresh

lemon thyme leaves

You will need:

✿ 20cm (8in) loaf tin,

greased

1

Heat the oven to 180C/Gas

4. Mix together the milk,
   eggs and vanilla. Put the flour,
   sugar, baking powder, a pinch

of salt, lemon zest and poppy

seeds into a large bowl. Mix well

then stir in the butter and half

the egg mixture, beating all the

time. Now add the rest of the

egg slowly, beating well.

2

Pour into the tin. Bake for

55-65 mins but cover with

buttered foil after 30. For the

syrup, dissolve the sugar in the

lemon juice over a gentle heat,

add the thyme and leave to

infuse. Make small holes in the

cake with a skewer and brush

over half the syrup. Leave the

cake in the tin for 10 mins then

remove and brush it all over

with the remaining syrup,

including the base and sides.

Allow to cool then wrap in foil

and leave to infuse for 24 hours.

3

To decorate, make the

lemon glacé icing* – mix

250g (9oz) icing sugar with the

juice of a lemon. Spoon into a

piping bag and, with a zig-zag

motion, pipe lines across the

top of the cake, then scatter

over the lemon strips, flowers

and thyme leaves.

PER SERVING:

336-421 cals;

20-25g fat; 11-13g

sat fat; 34-43g

carbs