Mrs. Pettigrew’s Lemon Cake

(from Having Tea: Recipes and Table Settings, by Tricia Foley)

2 lemons
¼ c. sugar
8 T. (1 stick) salted butter or margarine, softened
2 large eggs, beaten
¾ c. all-purpose flour
6 T. milk
3 T. sugar, for topping

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and line a 7-inch round cake pan or 8-inch loaf pan with parchment or wax paper.
Grate the lemon rinds and set aside. Combine the juice of 1 lemon with 3 T. sugar in a bowl and set in a warm place until the sugar dissolves and forms a syrup with the juice.
Cream the butter or margarine and the rest of the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the grated lemon rind and flour; beat again thoroughly (the longer you beat, the softer the cake). Add the milk and beat again.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for at least 1 hour; the cake should spring back when pressed gently in the center. Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven, prick the top with a long-tined fork or thin skewer and pour the lemon juice-sugar syrup all over the top until completely covered. Cool in the pan to allow the syrup to be soaked up and create a moist and tangy cake.