Lemon syrup cake with mascarpone elderflower icing

Tam West

Use a tart variety of lemon to give this cake a good citrus flavour. Elderflower cordial has a distinctive flavour which I really enjoy, but you could substitute with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

This recipe comes from Kathy's new cookbook Meat & Three, RRP$49.99 from booksellers nationwide and at href="http://kathypaterson.co.nz/">kathypaterson.co.nz

Cake

350 g	Caster sugar
2	Free-range eggs
250 g	Natural unsweetened yoghurt (Main)
200 ml	Sunflower oil
3	Lemons, finely grated zest only (Main)
250 g	Self raising flour

Lemon syrup

4 Tbsp	Caster sugar
4 Tbsp	Lemon juice (Main)

Mascarpone elderflower icing

250 g	Mascarpone, at room temperature (Main)
125 g	Cream cheese, choose a traditional type, softened (Main)
50 g	Icing sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp	Elderflower cordial (Main)
1	Lemon, finely grated zest only for garnish

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 180C. Line a 22cm or 23cm round cake tin with baking paper.
2. Place the caster sugar, eggs, yoghurt, oil and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low speed until just combined. Sift in the self-raising flour, then mix until just combined. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and place in the oven to bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven.
3. For the lemon syrup, in a small bowl, mix together the caster sugar and lemon juice until the sugar dissolves. Spoon the syrup over the hot cake and leave to cool in the tin.
4. For the icing, place the mascarpone, cream cheese and icing sugar in a bowl and mix gently using a wooden spoon or spatula to combine. Add the elderflower cordial and gently stir through.
5. To serve, remove the cooled cake from its tin and place on a serving plate. Spread the mascarpone icing over the top of the cake, or alternatively get a little creative and pipe rosettes of icing on top. Finish by finely grating the zest of the lemon over the iced cake.

More of Kathy's recipes fromMeat & Three

• Barbecued spring lamb rumps and spring vegetables
• Spring lamb fillets and tomato salad with crackerbread