Spring Citrus Sponge | Lemon Cake Recipe

I'm a cake addict. Have been for as long as I can remember. Sometimes the mood takes you and nothing but a dangerously indulgent combination of sugar and fat, in the form of cake, will do. My favourite is usually the toxic 50:50 fat:sugar ratio found in cheesecake. For those who hanker for the citrus in moments of weakness, a light lemon sponge cake is the ticket. Why not try this sponge laced with lemon zest and topped with a sugar/lemon glaze.

Ingredients

4 large eggs, room temperature

8oz sifted flour

8oz caster sugar

8oz unsalted butter, room temperature

Zest of 2 lemons

For the butter icing/topping

Juice of 2 lemons

100g caster sugar

50g icing sugar

100g unsalted butter

Method

1) Preheat your oven to Gas Mark 4, 180oC or 160oC fan, and line 2 large round shallow cake tins with parchment paper.

2) Cream together the caster sugar and butter until combined and fluffy.

3) Beat the eggs together separately and add to the mixture gradually.

4) Fold in the flour and grated lemon zest until the mixture is fully combined.

5) Use a tablespoon to divide the mixture equally between the 2 cake tins and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

6) When ready, take the cakes out of the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

7) Whilst still warm, spread a mix of half of the lemon juice and all of the sugar over the top half of the cake with a egg or pastry brush.

8) Make the butter icing by combining the other half of the lemon juice, the icing sugar (sifted) and the butter. (Be careful not to add too much lemon juice as it makes the icing runny!)

9) When both halves of the cake are cool assemble the cake by filling the middle with the butter icing and spreading any leftover lemon and sugar glaze over the top.

To see the Mary Berry Lemon drizzle cake recipe that inspired this post:

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/534232

'Mr Nutella' Chocolate Cupcakes | Weekend Bake Recipe

In honour of Ferrero Rocher chocolate tycoon Michele Ferrero, or 'Mr Nutella', who sadly died this week, I had fun developing these Nutella inspired treats. Warning: These cupcakes contain a combination of ingredients so indulgently sweet as to probably be capable of inducing a heart attack. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients (Makes 6):

2 eggs (room temperature)

2oz caster sugar

2oz self-raising flour, no need to sift (or plain flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder) 

2oz unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Butter icing: icing sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, 1 dessert spoon of Nutella

Method:

1) Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5

2) Cream together sugar and butter

3) Mix in eggs and vanilla extract

4) Fold the flour into the mixture

5) Spoon half of the mixture into 6 muffin cases

6) Add a teaspoon of Nutella in the middle of each case

7) Spoon the rest of the mixture into the cases, so that it covers the Nutella blob in the middle

8) Bake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven and allow to cool on a wire rack when baked

9) Decorate with a sprinkle of icing sugar or a dollop of Nutella butter icing

Weekend Bake: Celebration English Cupcakes Recipe and Tips

Whether it's a birthday, an unbirthday, a summer barbeque or the Wimbledon final, it's always great to get baking and try an English version of sweet American cupcakes. With more flour and less sugar, these cupcakes are more Victoria sponge and work perfectly for tea parties.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

6oz self-raising flour

6oz caster sugar

6oz butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1) Cream together butter and sugar

2) Fold in flour into the mixture in stages

3) Break in the eggs

4) Spoon into cake cases

5) Bake in a Gas Mark 4/350F/180C

Chef's Tips:

1) Sift flour and icing sugar fully before combining

2) Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the mixture for extra taste sensation

3) Combine all the ingredients until smooth

4) Leave to cook until bouncy and golden

5) Decorate with chocolate and other flavoured icing, when cooled, by adding cocoa powder to icing sugar and water

Carpe Diem xx

Here's one I made earlier.....

Sherwood Forest Birthday Cake

Cake: chocolate sponge
Decorations: green regal-ice
Icing: chocolate buttercream
Trees: Cadbury's chocolate flakes

Carpe diem xx

Here's one I made earlier....

Hummingbird Bakery Coffee Cake:

Carpe diem xx