Categories: Baking
Ingredients
- For the cake
- butter, for greasing
- 3 free-range eggs
- 115g/4oz caster sugar, plus 4 tbsp for dredging
- 1 unwaxed lemon, zest only
- 115g/4oz plain flour
- For the lemon butter icing
- 200g/7oz icing sugar, sifted
- 125g/41/2oz softened butter
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 125g/41/2oz lemon curd
Directions
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Grease and line a 33cm x 23cm/13in x 9in Swiss roll tin with buttered baking parchment.
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Technique: Greasing and lining cake tins .Watch technique
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0:33 mins
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Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
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Put the eggs, 115g/4oz of the sugar and the lemon zest in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of gently simmering water.
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Whisk with an electric whisk until the mixture is pale, creamy and thick enough to leave a trail when the whisk is lifted.
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Carefully remove the bowl from the heat and continue whisking for a further five minutes.
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Sift in half the flour and, using a large metal spoon, lightly fold it into the egg mixture.
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Sift in the remaining flour and fold into the mixture – it’s important to use gentle movements to retain as much air as possible in the batter.
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Technique: Folding .Watch technique
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0:35 mins
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Pour the mixture slowly into the prepared tin and gently spread with a spatula so the base of the tin is evenly covered.
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Bake for 10–12 minutes until well-risen, pale golden-brown and firm to the touch.
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.Place a damp tea towel on the work surface and cover with a sheet of baking parchment.
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.Dredge with the four tablespoons of sugar – this will help stop the outside of the sponge sticking. Working quickly, turn the cake out onto the sugared paper and carefully remove the lining paper.
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.Using a sharp knife, cut off the crusty edges from the two long sides. Roll the Swiss roll from one of the short ends, starting with a tight turn to make a good round shape and keeping the sugared paper inside the roll. Set on a wire rack and leave to cool.
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.To make the icing, put the icing sugar and butter in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the lemon juice and beat again.
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.When the cake is cold, gently unroll but do not flatten it or it could crack.
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.Spread the cake with then lemon butter icing, leaving a 1cm/½in border.
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.Spoon the lemon curd evenly over the icing.
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.Slowly roll the cake up again, enclosing the filling, and place on a plate. Sprinkle with extra sugar if you like.