Preheat the oven to 170c/150c fan oven and grease and line two 23cm cake pans.

In the bowl of your mixer with the whisk attachment fitted, whisk together the eggs and sugar until they are pale and doubled in size.

Add the milk, lemon zest, lemon extract, and oil and mix on low until just combined.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift in the flour and baking powder and fold it into the mixture until it is well combined.

Evenly distribute the mix between the two pans and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

While the cakes are in the oven mix together the lemon juice and icing sugar making sure the sugar is all dissolved in the juice.

When the cakes come out of the oven, while they are still warm, skewer the surface of the cakes all over with a knife then pour the lemon drizzle syrup evenly over both cakes, the syrup will soak into the sponge.

Add an inch of water to a saucepan and heat over a medium heat until it is simmering. In a metal or glass bowl whisk together the egg whites and sugar using a handheld electric whisk, when they are combined place the bowl over the saucepan making a bain marie.

Continue to whisk the mixture while it is over the heat. You need to keep whisking until the mixture is warm to the touch and all the sugar is dissolved. If you feel the mixture between your fingers and it still feels grainy it isn't ready yet, keep whisking! You will need to be patient, it will take 5-10 minutes to be ready.

When the sugar is fully dissolved, remove the bowl from the heat and quickly transfer the meringue mixture to the bowl of your mixer with the whisk attachment fitted.

You now need to whisk on low until the meringue has COOLED COMPLETELY it will take at least 10 minutes.

When the mix has cooled turn the mixer to high and slowly start to add the butter a tablespoon at a time until it's all added and mixed in well. Then whisk in the extract, 1-2 tsp depending on how lemony you want the flavour, taste to make sure you have the flavour right.

Place one cake layer onto your cake board/dish and add a generous dollop of the buttercream, spread evenly over the surface then add the second cake layer on top.

Add enough buttercream to pipe the swirls on top into a piping bag with a closed star nozzle fitted, then use the remaining buttercream to completely cover the cake. You can keep it smooth or I used a serrated smother around the outside. Then take your filled piping bag and pipe swirls all around the outside edge. I then used sliced lemon halves as decoration, adding them between the swirls.

That's it! Your cake is done. This cake would be perfect for easter!