This is one of my make it ahead & freeze in slices ready to take out when required recipes
190° C (Fan 170°) Gas Mark 5 for 40 – 50 minutes
You will need a 30cm x 23cm (12” x 9″) baking tin – lightly greased
Prue Leith once coined the phrase ‘Life is too short to Stuff a Mushroom’ from Shirley Conran’s bestseller Superwoman. Although I still make pastry from scratch for a special occasion & my own lemon curd, day to day life is too short to make pastry! If cheating is good enough for Prue Leith it’s good enough for me!
Ingredients:
1 Sheet of ready rolled short crust pastry
270g Self Raising Flour
270g Caster Sugar
270g Spread or Butter (I use Light Low Saturated Fat spread in my cakes – it makes them super light!)
1.5 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract (don’t use essence)
1Teaspoon Baking Powder
5 Medium Eggs
4 Level Tablespoons of good quality Lemon Curd (see notes below)
Method:
1. Line the bottom of the tin with the pastry
2. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, spread or butter, Vanilla Extract & eggs into a baking bowl. Using an electric whisk, beat until all combined & creamy
3. Spread the lemon curd over the pastry – it’s easier to do this with the back of the tablespoon
4. Spoon the cake mixture all over the curd covered pastry & carefully spread out evenly.
5. Sprinkle the Blueberries over the mixture & press down lightly (by doing this it will stop all the blueberries from sinking to the bottom)
6. Bake at 190° C (Fan 170°) Gas Mark 5 for 40 – 45 minutes until cooked
7. Remove from the oven, run a knife carefully around all the sides of the cake to release it & leave to cool completely in the tin
8. Cut into squares or slices
Store in an airtight tin or bag & freeze for future use
For a special occasion I would make the lemon curd but for this recipe shop bought is good, but it must be a good quality one that is actually made with eggs & lemon juice. I have used the following with good results:
Asda – Extra Special Lemon Curd
M & S – Sicilian Lemon Curd
Wilkin & Son – Lemon Curd
Tesco Finest – Zesty Lemon Curd
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