A/n I've had lots of people ask me for Bella's 'Lemon Drizzle Cake' Recipe. I have had a look through her recipe binder and managed to find a copy. Here it is, any ingredients you're unsure of let me know and I'll be sure to ask Bella what she would recommend as a good substitute.

Bella's Prize-winning Lemon Drizzle Cake

Cuts into 16 perfect squares.

Ingredients

125g Butter or Margarine - I like to use Stork Margarine, it's a classic British brand and was used as a butter substitute during rationing in WWII.
175g Caster Sugar - This is a very finely ground sugar that creams perfectly with the fat. Someone once told me that across the pond they refer to it as 'Superfine' sugar.
2 Large Eggs - Preferably free-range organic eggs from happy, happy hens with bright yellow yolks!
175g Self-raising Flour - There's no real price difference between self-raising and plain flour in the UK, but the money I save on not buying baking powder can go towards a new book :) Instructions on how to make your own SR Flour is below as I think it can be difficult to find in some places.
2 Unwaxed Lemons - They have to be unwaxed as you need the rind later in the recipe.
50g Granulated Sugar - This is a more coarse sugar, like the kind I used to have on raspberry jam doughnuts when I was a little girl - I digress. This is used for decoration.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 10 minutes before baking your cake.

2. Lightly grease and line the base of an 18cm/7inch square cake tin with baking paper. It's easier if you use a loose-bottom (ha-ha) or springform tin.

3. In a substantial sized bowl, cream the butter or margarine and caster sugar together until soft and fluffy. It should be creamy and resemble the colour of a creme anglaise and be completely lump free.

4. Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat them lightly. Gradually add a little of the egg to the creamed mixture. Adding 1 tablespoon of flour after each addition of egg, until all of the flour has been added.

5. Finely grate the rind from 1 of the lemons and stir into the creamed mixture, beating well until smooth. Squeeze the juice from the lemon, strain, then stir into the mixture.

6. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin, level the surface and bake in the pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes.

7. Using a zester remove the peel from the last lemon (it's important to use a zester as you get beautiful long curls of lemon rind) and mix with 25g of the granulated sugar and put to one side.

8. Squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon into a small saucepan. Add the rest of the granulated sugar (25g) to the lemon juice and heat gently. Stirring the sugar has dissolved, simmer for 2-4 mins until syrupy.

9. Prick the cake all over with a cocktail stick or fine skewer so that the syrup will be able to soak through the light fluffy sponge and give the cake an injection of moisture.

10. Sprinkle the lemon zest and sugar mix over the top of the whole cake, drizzle over the syrup and leave the cake to cool in the tin.

11. Remove the cake from the tin when cool. Cut the cake into squares and serve. This is lovely served with a pot of tea and shared with friends. Bon Appetit x

To make the self raising flour mentioned above:

Self-Raising Flour:

175g Plain Flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Method

Combine all of the ingredients, mix and then sift. The flour can then be used as a self-raising flour substitute.