Sour cream lemon syrup cakes

Tamara West

The lemon syrup that is poured over these puddings just before you serve them gives it a delicious moistness and the fragrant citrus flavour is irresistible. It also works with oranges instead of lemons and you can replace the sour cream with yoghurt.

You can bake the puddings in advance but don’t make the sugar syrup until you wish to eat it. The pudding reheats well in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. I like to serve it with a dollop of sweetened cream or yoghurt and some poached fruit such as apples or pears.

Cake

125 g	Butter
150 g	Caster sugar
200 g	Plain flour
3	Eggs
1 tsp	Baking powder
125 g	Sour cream, or natural yoghurt (Main)
1	Lemon, large, finely zested, plus 1 Tbsp juice (Main)

Lemon syrup

100 ml	Lemon juice
½ cup	Caster sugar
100 ml	Water

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 160C. Grease and flour 8 ramekins or one 20cm cake tin (lined with baking paper).
2. Using your hands, rub together the butter, sugar, flour and baking powder until pale crumbs form. Make a well in the middle and mix in one egg at a time until incorporated.
3. Stir through the sour cream or yoghurt. Then the lemon and lemon zest.
4. Pour into the ramekins or cake tin and bake for 30-40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
5. For the lemon syrup, put the lemon juice, sugar and water in a small pot and simmer until thickened (coats the back of a spoon). As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, spoon over the syrup. Serve with freshly whipped cream.