Torta al Limone (Lemon Cake)

Ingredients (Serves 6-8)

2 medium eggs

150gr caster sugar

150gr plain flour

1 lemon

40gr butter

3tbsp milk

2tsp baking powder 

1tsp vanilla extract

Icing sugar, to decorate

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease a 23cm/9in springform pan with butter and dust it lightly with flour. 

Grate the rind from the lemon, cut it in half and squeeze the juice.

Melt the butter in pan.

Place the eggs, sugar, lemon rind and vanilla extract into a bowl and whisk until smooth and pale yellow in colour. Stir in the lemon juice, the melted butter and the milk.

Sift the flour and the baking powder into the bowl, stir until well blended and smooth. 

Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 30 minutes. To check that the cake is done insert a skewer in the middle. If the  skewer comes out clean, the cake is ready.

Allow to cool for 15mins. Remove the cake from the pan and place it on a serving dish. Finally, dust it with icing sugar.

Apple Sauce Cake

Serves: 8
Preparation time: 30min
Cooking time: 25 - 30min

For the cake

1 lemon
175g/6oz soft margarine
175g/6oz caster sugar
175g/6oz self-raising flour
1 1/2  tsp baking powder
3 medium eggs
1 cooking apple, about 250g/9oz, quartered, cored, peeled and finely chopped

For the filling

500g/1lb 2oz cooking apples, quartered, cored, peeled and chopped
75g/3oz caster sugar
150ml/1/4pt double cream
little sifted icing sugar, to decorate

Method

Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4. Brush two 18.5cm/7in Victoria sandwich tins with a little oil and line bases with two circles of greaseproof paper.

Grate rind from half the lemon and squeeze juice from both halves. Reserve juice.

Put lemon rind, margarine, sugar, flour, baking powder and eggs into a bowl and beat until smooth. Stir in chopped apple.

Divide mixture between tins and level tops. Bake both cakes for 15-20min until well risen and cakes spring back when pressed with fingertips.

Turn out of tins, peel off paper and leave to cool on a wire rack.

For the filling, cook the remaining apples in a saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice, and 2tbsp water for 10min, until soft and thick. Cool

Put one cake on a serving plate, top with cooked apples. Whip cream then spoon over apples, top with the other cake and dust with icing sugar.