Lemon and walnut cake

Ingredients:

• 225g butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 1/4 cups walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup milk

For lemon icing:

• 1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar
• 1 large lemon, juiced

Preparation:

             Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of a 6cm deep, 20cm (base) square cake pan.

             Using an electric mixer, cream butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each.

            Sift flour, cinnamon and baking powder into a bowl. Using a large metal spoon, stir flour mixture, 2 cups walnuts and milk into butter mixture until combined. Spoon mixture into pan. Smooth top. Bake for 50 minutes (cover loosely with foil once top is golden) or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand cake in pan for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

           Make lemon icing: Sift icing sugar into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup lemon juice. Mix until smooth.

          Drizzle icing over cake. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Set aside for 30 minutes or until icing sets. Slice into small squares and serve.