Lemon cake with tea is a grand tradition at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, and it has been served here for almost 40 years.

What I love about the perfect lemon cake is it’s fresh, zesty and as light as a cloud.

Ingredients (serves 8):

For the lemon cake

• butter, to grease the tin
• 5 eggs
• 300g caster sugar
• 140ml double cream
• finely grated zest of 3 lemons
• 25ml dark rum
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 80g unsalted butter, melted
• 240g plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder

For the glaze

• 50g apricot jam, warmed
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 3 tbsp juice
• 150g icing sugar

Method
Step One
Lightly grease the loaf tin and line with greaseproof paper.

Then, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cream, lemon zest, rum, salt and melted butter.

Step Two

Sift the flour and baking powder together, then whisk into the egg mixture until smooth, spooning the mixture into the loaf tin and gently level the surface.

Bake for 50 minutes, turning the tin around halfway through cooking. To test the cake, insert a small knife into the middle – if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.

Step Three

Turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

Step Four

Lightly brush the cake all over with the warm jam. The jam creates a barrier, so the lemon glaze is not absorbed. Leave for 5 minutes.

Step Five

Now mix the lemon zest and juice with the icing sugar in a small pan and warm over a low heat to 35°C, until smooth. If the glaze is any hotter, it will re-crystallise, losing its shine and crispness.

Brush the lemon glaze evenly over the top and sides of the cake and leave for a few minutes to set.

Step Six

Finally, place the cake on a baking tray in the oven, turn off the heat and leave for 3–5 minutes to dry the glaze – it will become translucent. Allow to cool before slicing.