Lemon and Poppy Seed Squares

It’s been a little while since I did a baking post, my apologies! I have done a lot of baking but all the recipes are already on here so I had nothing to blog. I’ve made more macarons and a couple of batches of red velvet cupcakes.

These squares were a quick bake on Monday evening so that we would have something sweet and tasty for our drive down to England the next morning. Just a speedy all-in-one sponge, split and filled with lemon curd. I had a half jar of lemon curd lounging in the fridge, using it here meant that I didn’t have to pack it. You can make your own lemon curd or buy a jar for ease. A simple lemon icing adds a bit more citrus flavour and finishes them off prettily.

I tinkered with my recipe to make it a bit more cup friendly for all you cup measuring folks out there!

The squares are best made a few hours before serving so that the split sponge can absorb the flavoursome lemon curd, this fuses the layers of sponge together making the square good and robust, perfectly portable. How delightful they would be on a sunny picnic, lush green grass, larks singing above, a bubbling stream lapping at your toes. Can you tell I’m getting a little carried away with this pleasant weather we’ve been having?

Lemon and Poppy Seed Squares 

oven 180 C / gas 4 / 350 F

20 cm {8 inch } square brownie tin, buttered and lined with parchment

• 110 g { 1 stick } soft unsalted butter
• 150 g { 3/4 cup } caster sugar
• 150 g { 1 cup } self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 3 tbsp poppy seeds
• zest of 2 unwaxed lemons, finely grated {use the juice in the icing}
• 3 tbsp plain, live yogurt
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 free-range eggs

To fill and decorate

• 1/2 jar lemon curd
• 80 g icing sugar
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Beat the eggs with the yoghurt and milk then place all the ingredients, except the fill and decorate ones, into a large mixing bowl, sifting in the flour and bicarb.

Use an electric mixer to beat the ingredients into a fairly stiff batter. A couple of minutes should do it.

Now transfer the batter into the lined brownie tin, spread into the corners and level.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden {I left mine in a wee bit too long and mine was more brown than golden!}, using a skewer or stick of dry spaghetti test to see if the cake is done by poking it into the centre of the sponge, it should come out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for ten minutes then carefully lift out using the parchment and continue to cool on a wire rack, still on the parchment.

Once the sponge has cooled, use a long knife to split the cake in half. Lift the top layer off, carefully. Spread a good coating of lemon curd over the bottom layer then replace the top.

To make the icing, place the icing sugar into a smallish bowl. Squeeze in a tablespoon of lemon juice, through a sieve to catch any pips. Stir it in, add a squeeze more juice if it needs it. You are looking for it to coat the back of a spoon.

Spoon the icing over the cake and spread it over. Pop in the fridge for an hour or so to set and for the sponge to soak in the lemon curd.

To serve, trim the edges for neatness then cut into 9 squares.