Homemade Lemon & Coconut Madeira Squares - Recipe

Today i'm going to share with you my recipe to make:

Homemade Lemon & Coconut Madeira Squares

(Serves 12)

These have enough citrus to have a tang but aren't overpowering and the coconut gives it a lovely crumbly feel when bitten into. They're perfect for enjoying with a cup of tea or coffee when watching the telly at night!

Equipment:

20cm Round cake tin (loose-bottomed preferably)

Handheld electric whisk

Ingredients:

For Sponge

175g (6oz) Softened butter (i use Stork)

175g (6oz) caster sugar

225 (8oz) self-raising flour

50g (2o) desicated coconut

3 eggs, beaten

Grated rind of 1 lemon

For Topping

juice of half a lemon

4 tablespoons of white sugar

A little coconut for sprinkling

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/350f, Gas Mark 4 and grease the tin using a pastry brush and butter

2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk thoroughly for a few minutes until the mixture is smooth and creamy

3. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and level the top as much as possible using a palette knife

4. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45-50 minutes until the cake has risen and is golden - don't worry if the top is cracked!

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the cake tin for around 15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely (if you have a loose bottomed tin, after the 15 minutes push the bottom up and set the cake down before sliding the bottom of the tin from underneath the cake then allow to cool completely)

6. When cooled completely cut off the top of the crispy top of the cake so you have a smooth/flat topped sponge, then cut into 12 square/rectangular pieces

7. Make up the topping by putting the lemon juice into a small bowl ad stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar at a time and ensure the sugar crystals are still visible

8. Using a pastry brush, simply brush the topping over the top of cake so it is evenly distributed and then sprinkle some coconut over the top to finish

Enjoy!