Lemon poppy seed drizzle cake

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons butter (( 1 1/2 sticks) left out of the fridge for a while to soften slightly)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup self-raising flour
• 1.75 ounces ground almonds
• 1 ounce poppy seeds
• Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3/4 cup icing/confectioners' sugar

Instructions

1. 1

   Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake tin with baking paper, and lightly grease the bottom and sides.

2. 2

   Cream together the butter and sugar in a food processor or with a hand-held whisk until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

3. 3

   Whisk in the eggs one by one, then stir in the lemon zest and juice.

4. 4

   Fold in the flour, almonds and poppy seeds, then pour the batter into the cake tin.

5. 5

   Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer poked into the middle of the cake comes out almost clean.

6. 6

   --- EITHER ---

7. 7

   (Option 1) Heat the juice from the 1½ lemons with the caster sugar until the sugar has dissolved. When the cake has just come out of the oven, poke the cake all over with a skewer or fine knife, then pour the syrup all over the cake. Let cool, and serve.

8. 8

   --- OR ---

9. 9

   (Option 2) Add the lemon juice to the icing sugar to make lemon icing. Pour/Spread the icing over the cake (don’t worry if it drips down the sides of the cake – it’s supposed to do that!). Let the icing set, then serve.