Lemon-Rasberry Plate Trifle

taken from How to be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking by Nigella Lawson
Lemon-Syrup Loaf Cake
for the cake:
  1/2 cup unsalted butter
  1/2 cup plus 1 T sugar
  2 large eggs
  zest of 1 lemon
  1 cup plus 1 T self-rising cake flour
  pinch of salt
  4 T milk
  9 x 5 inch loaf pan, buttered and lined with parchment or wax paper

for the syrup: (amount is shown doubled for trifle)
  juice of 3 lemons (about 8 T)
  1 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, prepare pan.  Make sure the lining comes an inch or so up the sides of the pan for easier unmolding later.

Cream together the butter and sugar, and add the eggs and lemon zest, beating them in well.  Add the flour and salt, folding in gently but thoroughly, and then in the milk.  Spoon into the prepared loaf pan and put in the oven.  While the cake is baking, get on with the syrup;  put the lemon juice and sugar into a small saucepan and heat gently so the sugar dissolves.

Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until golden, risen in the middle (though it will sink a little on cooling), and an inserted cake tester comes out clean.  As soon as the cake is out of the oven, puncture the top of the loaf all over with the cake tester or suitable implement.  Pour over the syrup, trying to let the middle absorb it as well as the sides, then leave it to soak up the rest.  Don't try to take the cake out of the pan until it is completely old, as it will be sodden with syrup and might crumble.

Serves 8-10


Ingredients for syllabub: 
   2 tablespoons sliced almonds
   8 tablespoons dry sherry (I replaced with 8 T country time pink lemonade)
   4 tablespoons sugar 
   1/4 teaspoon rosewater (optional)
   Juice and zest of 1 lemon
   1 1/3 c heavy cream
   1 lemon-syrup cake with double syrup
   1 pint raspberries

Put the almonds into a dry frying pan over a medium to high heat to toast them.  When they're golden and aromatic, remove to a plate and set aside to cool.

Mix the sherry (or lemonade, may also try apple juice), sugar, rosewater, and lemon juice and zest in a bowl large enough to take the cream when whipped.  Leave for and hour if you've got it, or else give it a good stir and make sure the sugar's dissolved fully.  Slowly, while whisking by hand, add the cream.  Then--for ease--switch to an electric mixer and beat till airy and floppily bulky.

Slice half the cake onto a large oval plate, or one of whatever shape and size looks about right to you, and then empty out the raspberries on top.  Flop over the syllabub and scatter the toasted almonds on top. Perfect for dessert outside on a summer's evening.