What is wrong with me!? Today I'm having the worst time trying to get started with writing. This mild form of writer's block doesn't do much to give a girl confidence. Truthfully, I only want to write about lemon cakes - this tasty crunchy topped sponge cake that has been a staple in my life since I was 11 years old.

I nearly forgot about it, until I saw Lily Allen post a photo of her crunchy topped lemon cake on Twitpic (see above photo) and I fell a little bit in love again. These cakes are like a staple to any church supper, school bake sale or simply a get together with friends. It's incredibly simple to make, but when it comes out of the oven, the sweet, saccarin scent of baked lemonade cannot help but make mouths water. More than once I scalded my mouth as I foolishly snuck a premature corner when it was a little less than scalding hot.

Oh man oh man...

I was introduced to the cake by my aunty Muzna, who gave me a copy of her recipe that my own mother has commandeered for her own. I can't blame her, it is so friggin good!

Heck, if Lily Allen digs it... then it has got to be tasty! Right? Celebrities only like tasty things.


Here's the recipe I found online - This is the recipe, enjoy enjoy enjoy!

Crunchy Topped Lemon Cake

Cake
4oz (100g) soft margarine
6oz (175g) caster sugar
6oz (175g) self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 extra large eggs
4 tablespoons milk
zest of 1 lemon

Crunchy topping
juice of 1 lemon
4oz (100g) caster sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 350f, and line and grease a 7in deep round cake tin.

Beat all the cake ingredients together until light, smooth and fluffy, turned the mixture into the tin and baked for 40 minutes.

Made the sugar and lemon juice into a paste, and prick the surface of the hot cake with a fork. Spread the paste over the top, leave it in the cake tin to cool, turn out and eat.

mmmyum mmmmyum mmmmmyum!