Golden Lemon Drizzle with Turmeric

(A Whisper of Cardamom p.212)

Golden lemon drizzle

A cake that has it all: sweet, sour, fluffy, sugar-crusted crunch and luxurious filling. And then the sponge! Sunshine gold to lift any mood.

My secret is ground turmeric in the batter, which also serves to echo the slight bitterness of lemon, offsetting the sweetness, whilst a generously juicy drizzle brings intense tang. The idea for the lemon mascarpone centre came from Tonia George in a magazine cutting I have held onto for 15 years. I will be forever grateful to her, as this might just be my favourite cake.

Serves 8

For the cake

  • 200g (7oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing

  • Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

  • 200g (7oz) caster sugar

  • 4 eggs, at room temperature

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds (optional)

  • 200g (11⁄3 cups) plain flour

    For the drizzle

  • 100ml (scant 1⁄2 cup) lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)

  • 75g (1⁄3 cup) granulated sugar


    For the filling

  • 125g (41⁄2oz) mascarpone

  • 125g (41⁄2oz) tangy lemon curd

Grease and line two 20cm (8 inch) sandwich tins. Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan (375°F).

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter with the lemon zest and sugar until softened. Beat in all the remaining cake ingredients except the flour. Once smooth, gently fold in the flour.

Divide between the two tins and level the surfaces. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are browned and springy.

Leaving the cakes in their tins, prick the surfaces all over with a cocktail stick. Mix the lemon juice and sugar together briefly then drizzle the liquid slowly over the two cakes, saving all the undissolved
sugar to spoon over the top cake. Once the liquid has sunk in, remove the cakes from their tins and cool on a rack.

For the filling, swirl the mascarpone and lemon curd together. When the cakes are completely cool, sandwich them together with the lemony mixture, using the sugar-crusted cake on the top.

Best on the day it is made, but if keeping longer then store in the fridge.

Recipe by Eleanor Ford from A Whisper of Cardamom

Photo: Ola O. Smit