Yellow Heaven

I recently bought, Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan. Although I did promise not to buy any new books until I have read some of the hundreds that are piled up or on shelves all over my house. However, I just couldn't resist this one. Firstly, anything with reference to cupcakes, must be good. Secondly, nearly every chapter begins with a recipe, that must make it a recipe book. Giving me the loop hole to my promise (I said no more fiction books.)

As well as having lots of delicious delights inside the book, it also came with a few recipe cards, one of which I tried out last night.

Lemon (Getting What You Want) Cake

Ingredients for the cake:

115g self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
115g softened butter
115g caster sugar
2 large eggs
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
(Although not in the recipe, poppy seeds would be great in this cake, so go on add a few...maybe more than a few, try 2 tablespoons.)

Ingredients for the icing:

60g icing sugar
2 tsps water
1 tsp lemon juice

Let's get making:

Preheat the oven to 150c/gas mark 3 and grease a loaf tin.

1. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl.

2. Then add all the other ingredients and beat well.

3. Spoon the mixture into loaf tin and bake for twenty minutes. (Although when I made this, I needed to keep it in the oven for 40!) The cake should be yellow, not brown, but not gooey inside.

It really is that simple!

Whilst the cake is cooking (whether it is for 20 or 40 minutes, check it at 20 minutes, see how it's getting along and take it from there), make the icing by mixing the 60g of icing sugar, a teaspoon of lemon juice and tiny amounts of water until it is sweet and stiff.

Apply the icing while the cake is still warm, spreading thinly until it cracks.

Although this cake may not be the prettiest of cakes, it certainly is up there with the yummiest. Jenny goes as far to say that those who taste it will do anything you want but I'm not sure I could keep it long enough to use as a bribe. Next time I shall make two, one for me and one for getting what I want.

Sunshine in a Scone

Scones are the perfect tea time treat; especially when taken just out of the oven, and enjoyed in the evening sunshine. And for an extra summertime treat, these scones have a hint of lemon (as we all know that everything lemony tastes better when the sun is shining).

Ingredients:

225g self raising flour
pinch of salt
55g butter
25g caster sugar
140ml milk
Peel and juice of one lemon
1 egg beaten

Let's get making:  

1. Heat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7.
2. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
3. Mix together the flour and salt and rub in the butter.
4. Stir in the sugar, lemon peel and juice, and then the milk to get a soft dough.
5. Turn on to a floured work surface and knead very lightly. Pat out to a round 2cm/¾in thick. Use a 5cm/2in cutter to stamp out rounds and place on a baking sheet. Lightly knead together the rest of the dough and stamp out more scones to use it all up.
6. Brush the tops of the scones with the beaten egg. Bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden.

Put the kettle on, brew a pot and enjoy your scones with clotted cream and blueberry jam. (Or lemon curd, for the real lemon lovers).