Lemon and cardamom drizzle cake w. a lush butter top.

I enjoy the double drizzle action on this cake. The syrup soaks into the sponge, but the topping gives it a luxuriousness that we all want and love.

For the cake: 

250g butter 

250g caster sugar 

Zest 2 lemons 

2 large free range eggs 

1tbsp cardamom pods, crushed 

200g plain flour 

Pinch salt

1tsp baking powder 

50ml milk 

For the drizzle: 

50g caster sugar 

juice 2 lemons

For the top part: 

25g butter, melted 

150g Icing sugar 

2tbsp buttermilk 

1tbsp cardamom pods

Put your oven on to 180c. Grease and line your 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper. 

Beat the butter and sugar until super light and fluffy. Add the lemon to this along with your eggs, beating after each addition. I add a little of the flour to this to stop it splitting. Bash the whole cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar, remove the shells and then bash the seeds until they’re quite fine. Gently mix through with the flour, salt and baking powder and then the milk. The mix will be smooth, and cloud like. Tip into the tin. Smooth the surface and pop into the oven for 40 minutes, it’ll be risen and golden and spring back when you touch it. 

Remove from the oven, immediately pierce all over with  a slim skewer or cake tester. Mix the drizzle in a small bowl and drizzle over. 

Leave to cool completely and then get onto the  topping. Mix together the topping ingredients and spread over the cake.