This is one of the few recipes where I lower my "from scratch" baking standards to use a box cake mix as a base. The result is foolproof and guaranted to give you a tender, sponge-like cake. The original recipe called for a combination of orange and lime juices but since limes are ridiculously expensive in New Zealand at the moment and I have an abundance of lemons I thought I'd just use lemon juice. If you don't use extra food colouring the cake will turn out a pretty pastel shade of green rather than something that looks like it came out of the Hulk's kitchen.
St Patrick's Day Lemon Cake
Adapted from Robb Dabbs' Tropical Lime Cake
Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix (I used a white cake mix)
1 (3 ounce) package lime flavored jelly/gelatin mix
A few drops of green food colouring for extra greenness
5 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Glaze1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups icing/confectioners' sugar
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
Grease and flour or line a 9 x 13 inch pan
In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix and lime flavored jelly
Combine the eggs, oil and lemon juice in a jug or bowl and mix well
Gradually add the blended ingredients to the dry mixture
Beat for 5 minutes using an electric mixer
Pour into the prepared pan
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
When the cake comes out of the oven, prick holes all over it using a toothpick
To make the glaze, combine the lemon juice and icing sugar in a small bowl
Beat until smooth and pour over the hot cake, this will soak into the cake
