Early Saturday morning is when I do most of my baking, no one is up and about so little chance of a disturbance. This weekend was slightly different as we had a doggie visitor on a stay over who was very curious while I was making it – his little puppy legs couldn’t get him up high enough to see though. Im told I am on a slippery slope and it is only a matter of time but I think I will still have to hold firm! A bird maybe??

So, This is an easy cake with a lovely flavour, sharp lemon tang, topped with the last of summer fruit, go for Autumn plums when it is gone from the shops. The fact that it works equally well made gluten free flour is a great bonus as not all recipes are interchangeable. Lots of sugar though so go easy, get the exercise in to justify and as always, dont eat the whole thing!

Lemon Buttermilk Cake with Balsamic Glazed Fruit
250gr butter, softened
250gr caster sugar
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon and its juice
2 tbsp preserved lemon syrup (If you can get it, if not add the juice of an extra lemon)
5 eggs
400gr gluten free plain flour
1 tsp xantham gum
150ml buttermilk
150gr sour cream

Topping
500gr strawberries and 250gr raspberries
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
250gr lemon curd

Oven at 170C
Beat butter, sugar and lemon rind in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Beat in half the flour and the xantham gum to just combine.
Whisk butter milk, lemon juice and sour cream in a separate bowl until smooth, then beat into batter. Beat in remaining flour until just combined. Divide between two 22cm-diameter cake tins that have been buttered and lined with parchment, (or you can bake in a larger deep square tine like I did and I cut it in half when cooled) Level the tops with a palette knife.
Bake, until golden and it springs back when lightly pressed (30-35 minutes in my oven). Cool slightly in tins, turn onto wire racks and cool completely.
For the topping
Hull and half the strawberries, tip into a put with icing sugar and balsamic and heat gently for a minute or 2, Add the raspberries, turn once or twice in the syrup – leave for about 30 seconds, then remove the fruit and let it cool. Turn up the heat and reduce the syrup until it is has a thicker consistency.

If you made the cake in round tins, sandwich with the lemon curd, reserving a little for the top. Cover with the fruit and pour over the glaze and serve. If you made in a flat tin, cut in half vertically (reserve the other half by freezing), cover the top with all the curd followed by the fruit and glaze.

Perfect after a day out…