I decided it was only right for me to do a Easter themed cake, for some reason when I think of Easter I think of Lemon cake, I don’t know why but it’s always the first flavour that comes to mind so I decided on this lemon poppy seed cake with honey and black tea frosting, the honey was ling heather honey from the London honey company and was incredible. I made a quick Lemon curd with some of the honey in too. To top it off I decorated it with a marigold nest inspired by lily Vanilli, for the egg in the nest I got a quails egg and cracked the top off and cleaned it and put a little flower in it.

Here is the ceramic lemon juicer I made at pottery class, another excuse to use lemon.

 

Recipe for the sponge

• 4 eggs
• 150g caster sugar
• 150g self raising flour
• zest of one and a half lemons
• juice of one lemon
• 3 to 4 tbsp poppy seeds

Grease and line two 15cm tins and preheat the oven to 160c

with a stand mixer with the whisk attachment whip together the sugar and eggs for a few minutes until tripled in size and pale, add the lemon juice and continue mixing then using a spatula fold in the flour, poppy seeds and lemon zest. Pour evenly between the tins and bake for about 30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

for the frosting

• 250g mascarpone or other cream cheese
• 300ml double cream
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• 160ml runny honey
• 1/3 cup of strongly Brewed black tea (cooled)
• 1 tbsp lemon zest

in a mixer whip together the cream cheese, double cream, and icing sugar until starting to get thick then add the honey and mix then add the tea a tbsp at a time and Continue to mix and add the zest.

For the curd

• 3 egg yolks
• juice and zest from two lemons
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp butter

mix together all the ingredients apart from the butter and stir over a low heat, stir constantly until the mixture starts to thicken and coats the back of the spoon then pour through a sift and stir in the butter and leave to cool

to build the cake

drizzle over the curd (I didn’t take it too think as I wanted it to drizzle down the sides) feel free to just use shop bought curd, then spread on some for the frosting add the next layer. Then spread the frosting around the sides and the top to cover the cake,

drizzle some for the curd over the sides and add the marigold nest. Happy Easter xx