Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE Cake Cafe. I go there at least twice a week when I’m in Dublin, the food is amazingly tasty (they use really great Irish produce), the place is cool, the people are nice, it’s just a great place for lunch. I am quite obsessed with their hotpots and brown bread. Michelle Darmody who owns and runs Cake Cafe launched a bake book recently and the first recipe on my hit list was the lemon slices that they are famous for.
I have to tell the truth, I made this twice before blogging as I had a bit of a mishap the first time around! It was basically all going fine but I was in a rush to go to a dinner party (I was providing cake) and sliced them without letting them cool and set… big mistake. They oozed everywhere and while they still tasted delicious, they looked like monstrosities I turned up with sludgy slices while my friend turned up with the most delicately decorated chocolate reindeer cupcakes (the reindeer had antlers and everything). It was embarrassing to say the least. Needless to say I was reluctant to blog the pictures, and decided to bake them again for Cake Club. Which is why half the photos are in different dishes!
This time around I let them cool and they were perfect. They were a real winner with my house mates, colleagues, family.. the whole lot! It’s a really great zingy dessert that is curdy on top and shortbready on the bottom. Perfect! Definitely give these a go!
Ingredients:
For Base:
250g plain flour
250g cold cubed butter
100g icing sugar
1 lemon zest
1 pinch of salt.
Mix all ingredients together until they form breadcrumbs. Pat down mixture in to tray. Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 180C.
Topping Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 pinch salt
2 lemon zests
300g castor sugar
100ml lemon juice (2 lemons)
1 tsp baking powder
50g plain flour.
Beat eggs, salt, sugar and zest for a few minutes until thick and curdy. Then mix in lemon juice and flour and baking powder. Pour on top of the cooked base and putback in the oven for 20 minutes. If it’s still wobbling after 20mins cook it a little longer.
Make sure to let it cool completely before slicing up. Otherwise the curdy topping will ooze everywhere. Enjoy these ones!
