Baker Lou’s Zesty Lemon Madeira Cake Dripping with White Chocolate & Summer Fruits

This is a real wow factor cake that is surprisingly simple to make. It makes a great centrepiece at a summer party and is sure to impress with its drippy yumminess!

For the cake:

• 200g softened salted butter
• 200g caster sugar
• 200g self-raising flour
• 4 eggs (at room temperature)
• Zest of 2 lemons

1. Preheat the oven to 150c (mine is a fan oven and tends to be on the hot side)
2. Grease and line a 6 inch round cake tin. Ensure that you line both the bottom and sides with greaseproof paper and the paper should come up 1 inch higher than the tin itself to ensure there is no overspill when the cake rises.
3. Beat the butter and sugar for around 5 minutes (in a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer) until it is light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time and mix each one in well before you add the next one.
5. Add the flour and mix. Mix in the lemon zest.
6.  Pour the mixture into the lined tin and make a small well with the back of a spoon in the middle of the mixture. This is to counteract any rise in the middle of the cake as it cooks.
7. Bake for around 55 mintes. Ensure that your cake is fully cooked by inserting a skewer into the cake- it should come out clean. The cake should be golden brown and spongey to the touch. If it is not spongey then put it back in for another 5 minutes at a time.
8. Turn it out upside down onto a wire rack to cool. Cool for at least a few hours or overnight. The bottom of the cake will now be the top and will provide a nice clean edge for the drip decoration.

For the buttercream:

• 250g salted softened butter
• 500g icing sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon

1. Beat the butter with an electric mixer and then add the icing sugar.
2. Add the lemon juice and beat again.
3. The consistency should be soft enough to spread easily. Add warm water from the kettle in very small splashes if you need it softer. Add some more icing sugar if it is too soft.
4. You can colour the buttercream at this point with a small amount of gel food colour if you wish. I am going for pink for a summer look.
5. Slice the cake in two so that you have three layers. You may need to level the bottom of the cake first to ensure it is flat.
6. Place your cake on the board or plate it will be presented on.
7. Spread some buttercream between the two layers.
8. Using a palette knife, spread the rest of the buttercream around the sides and the top of the cake so it is fully covered. Try to get a smooth finish and sharp edges at the top.
9. Place the cake in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.

 For the ganache drip:

• 100g white chocolate
• 100g double cream

1. Heat the double cream in a pan on the hob until it is very hot but not yet boiling.
2. Break the chocolate into pieces.
3. Take the cream off the heat and add the white chocolate.
4. Stir vigorously with a whisk until all the chocolate has melted.
5. Get your decorations ready to go (see below)
6. Remove the cake from the fridge and slowly pour the drip on the top of the cake.
7. Encourage the ganache to drip down the sides of the cake in thin lines with the back of a spoon.

For decorating:

You can use anything you want or have to hand! Strawberries, raspberries, meringue and popcorn work well for summer, but you could use any sweets/ chocolates/ sprinkles/ fruit… or whatever you fancy! Just arrange your decorations on top of the cake before the drip sets… et voila! Your friends are sure to be impressed with your masterpiece!