Except ...
No cake - no problem, I'll bake one.
Ah, no oranges - no problem, I'll take my neighbour at his word and help myself to a couple from his orchard while he's away.
Aaaah, somebody beat me to it! No oranges left on his trees. No problem, I'll take a couple of lemons instead and have a lemon cake.
OK, back in the kitchen, next problem rears its ugly little head. No recipe for a lemon cake (or an orange one either)! No problem, I'll adapt one and cross my fingers that it works.
It must have passed the taste test, 'cos OH asked for a second slice almost before he'd finished swallowing the first!
EASY lemon loaf/cake.
Ingredients
225g s/r flour (or plain plus 2 tsp baking powder plus 1/2 tsp salt)
110g butter, room temperature
100g sugar
2 medium eggs
Zest and pulp of 2 lemons
Juice of 2 lemons
Method
Preheat oven to 180C
Grease &/or line a loaf tin or use a silicone loaf "tin"
Rub butter into flour. Stir in sugar, zest and lemon pulp.
Beat together eggs and 4 tbsp of lemon juice, reserving the rest of the juice.
Add liquid mix to flour mix. Combine to soft consistency.
Spoon into loaf tin and bake for 40-45 mins until top is nicely browned and a skewer comes out clean.
Leaving cake in tin, put on rack to cool and brush or spoon the remaining lemon juice over the top. If there is a lot of juice, pierce the top so the juice drizzles into the holes. If you prefer a sweeter crust to your cake, mix powdered sugar/sweetener with the juice first.
Leave to cool for 15 mins or so, then remove from tin and cool thoroughly. Store in an airtight container, away from hungry husbands!
The basic recipe is very versatile. I first made it as a fruit loaf, then as a ginger fruit loaf. I'm now wondering about an apple loaf ...
(What is it about me and recipes - as fast as I find one that works, I have to tweek it!
)