Our Family Favourite Lemon Spring Easter Cake Recipes

RASPBERRY & LEMON SPRING / EASTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350°F Grease & flour two 20cm / 8" cake tins.
• Beat the sugar, butter & almond extract until pale & fluffy. Gradually the egg, then fold in the ground almonds, flour, lemon zest & juice.
• Spoon into the tins, smooth the top & bakes for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.
• Make a drizzle by mixing the icing sugar& lemon juice together. When the cake comes out of the oven, turn out onto a cooling rack set over a plate. Prick the cakes all over with a skewer & drizzle the syrup over. Set aside to cool/.
• Whip the cream & fold in the lemon curd. Set one cake on a plate, level the top if necessary & spoon the filling over the top. Sprinkle with the raspeberries & set the other cake on the top. Set aside.
• To make the icing, mix the lemon juice & icing sugar to make a spoonable thick paste. Use a few drops of colouring to get a nice pastel yellow colour & spoon evenly all over the top of the cake & round the sides. Run a pallet knife round the sides to neaten them up & make sure the icing is evenly distributed.
• Top with your choice of decorations - chocolate mini eggs, fresh fruit, flowers etc.

OUR FAMILY FAVOURITE LEMON SPRING / EASTER CAKE

Steps:

• Cream the margarine & sugar until it's light & creamy. Beat in the eggs & lemon zest. Slowly add the sifted flour & baking powder & mix well but gently. Add the water & mix.
• Pour into a lined & greased baking tin. I use either a tall 5" round tin or a shallow 12" round tin (if having a plain- unfilled but iced cake) - both work very well & I've also seen others using square pans & bundt tins -- Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 40-45 minutes; test to see if it is done - it may need a few extra minutes. If cooked, turn off oven & allow cake to rest in it for around 3 minutes.
• Filling:.
• Beat the margarine / butter until creamy. Slowly add enough icing sugar to reach a consistency you like. Tint yellow if desired. When the cake has cooled completely, use a bread knife to cut the cake into 3 layers. Divide the filling in half & spread onto bottom & middle layers using a pallet knife or similar.
• Icing.
• After filling the cake, put the top layer back in place. Trim off any edges or bumps etc. Mix the sifted icing sugar with the lemon juice & enough water to get a very thick but spoonable consistency. Tint with colouring if desired & carefully spoon over the top of the cake. The icing will slowly begin to drip down the sides of the cake - take a pallet knife & carefully run it around the sides of the cake to ensure & even covering.
• When the icing is almost set, run a clean damp finger or knife handle around the rim of the plate (if serving on it) & top with chocolate mini eggs or other decorations of your choice.

SPRING LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Line bottom with parchment cut to fit, and butter parchment. Dust with flour, and tap out excess.
• Combine sour cream, vanilla, zest, and juice. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream mixture. Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour mixture until just combined. Transfer to pan, and smooth top.
• Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn out cake onto rack to cool completely. (Cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature overnight.) Before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar, and arrange flowers on top.