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St Clement’s drizzle cake

The St Clement’s combination of oranges and lemons is a real classic, named of course after the bells in the famous nursery rhyme. This drizzle cake is different from other syrup cakes: rather than dissolving the sugar in a hot syrup first, it’s simply mixed with the citrus juices before being drizzled over the cake. The undissolved sugar crystals are essential in this recipe for their slight crunch.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 45 minutes

Ready in: 1 hour 30 minutes

Serves: 6–10

175g (6oz) butter, softened

175g (6oz) caster sugar

2 eggs

Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Juice and finely grated zest of 1 orange

50ml (2fl oz) milk

175g (6oz) self-raising flour, sifted

100g (3½oz) granulated sugar

900g (2lb) loaf tin

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, and line the base and sides of the loaf tin with baking parchment, with the paper coming above the sides of the tin to enable the cake to be lifted out easily.

Cream the butter until soft in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer. Add the caster sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl for a few seconds or just until mixed, then gradually add them to the creamed butter mixture, beating all the time. Beat in the lemon and orange zest, followed by the milk.

Fold in the flour until combined, then tip the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Bake for about 45 minutes or until nice and golden on top and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is cooking, pour the lemon and orange juice into a bowl and mix in the granulated sugar.

When the cake comes out of the oven, prick it with a skewer a few times, then drizzle the sugary juices all over the cake, allowing them to soak in. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin, then carefully lift it out with the lining paper. Peel away the baking parchment and leave on a wire rack to finish cooling down.

Place on a plate or board and cut into slices to serve.