Lemon Love

The Best Lemon Cake Ever

August 15, 2012

You guys know about my affinity for lemon cake so I was very happy to have this recipe featured on A Cup of Jo today – a blog that I absolutely love.

It really is a brilliant cake. Read the secret to making the best lemon cake ever over on A Cup of Jo and then for goodness’ sake, go and make some.

Have you ever been to Morocco? Whenever I think about traveling there, I’m reminded of this video that distills 4,000 photos into a gorgeous 2 minute film of two backpackers’ adventures. Seriously, have a watch and you will be transported (and desperate to go!).

When I think of Morocco, there are several foods that spring to mind but none more than tagine (slow-cooked stews braised at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce).

I don’t think you could fit any more flavour into this particular dish if you tried.

The lamb is meltingly tender and carries with it all the flavors of a spiced, zesty marinade.

The there’s the zingy broth, which is salty from the marinade and olives, sweet from the carrots and onions, and crazy-fragrant from the fresh parsley and cilantro that you can see swimming in the broth in these pictures. It’s killer, friends.

The full recipe is over on the Caravanserai blog.

French Yoghurt Cake

May 16, 2012

Is it safe to claim the title of Queen of Lemon Cakes yet? I think my love of lemony cakes has been well established and I hope I’ve turned a few of you onto to the magic that is citrus-y baked goods in the process.

I saw this recipe in the May issue of Bon Appétit as I was flying back from Michigan one sleepy morning. Of course I knew I’d have to make it. There have been cakes with butter, cakes with cream, but not yet a lemon cake made with thick Greek yoghurt and oil. I had to try it and happily it didn’t disappoint. In fact, it’s a gorgeous cake, specked with lemon zest and packed full of flavour.

French Yoghurt Cake
from Bon Appétit, May, 2012

Ingredients

  • Oil, to grease pan
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp kosher/coarse salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup Greek yoghurt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease pan with vegetable oil. Dust with flour; tap out excess.
  2. Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
  3. Using your fingers, rub the lemon zest into the sugar in a large bowl until sugar is moist and fragrant. Add yoghurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract; whisk to blend. Fold in dry ingredients with a rubber spatula just to blend. Don’t over mix.
  4. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 50–55 minutes.
  5. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack and let it cool completely. Best bit: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.