Lemon Poppy-seed Loaf Cake

Lemon Poppy-seed Loaf Cake

2 large eggs
zest and juice of one lemon
175g golden caster sugar
75ml plain yoghurt
150g self raising flour
1tbsp poppy seeds
50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Topping
50g golden caster sugar
juice and zest of half a lemon

• Preheat oven to Gas 6/200c/190c fan oven
• Whisk eggs with lemon juice and zest, a pinch of salt and caster sugar to combine.
  
• Stir in yoghurt and melted butter then stir in the flour and poppy seeds.
  
• Pour into greased and base lined loaf tin and cook for 10 minutes.
• Turn down heat to Gas 3/170c/fan 160c and cook for further 25-30 minutes, till a skewer inserted comes out clean.
  
• For the topping mix together juice and sugar then pout over the hot cake once removed from oven. Leave to cool in the tin.
• Can be frozen (without topping) for up to 1 month or stored in an airtight tin for 3-4 days.
  

Jaffa Drizzle Loaf

Another loaf cake, I seem to be making a lot of them lately! This recipe is from BBC Good Food, a few of the Damsel girls were making it and I'm a big copycat so couldn't help myself. I made one for us and one for a Damsel I went to visit. I didn't manage to get the chocolate drizzly bits on either of them, the first because Mr AG pleaded with me not to *cough* FREAK *cough* and the second because it wasn't cool in time. Still lovely without.

Jaffa Drizzle Loaf

• 140g butter, softened
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1½tsp baking powder
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 6 tbsp milk
• finely grated zest 1 large orange

To finish

• 3 tbsp orange juice
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 50g dark chocolate

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line the base of a 1.2-litre loaf tin. Put all the cake ingredients into a bowl and beat with a hand whisk or wooden spoon for 3-5 mins, until light and fluffy. Spoon the mix into the tin and level the top.
2. Bake for 40-50 mins, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Meanwhile, heat the orange juice and sugar gently in a small pan, stirring until dissolved. When the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven and spoon over the orange mix. Leave to cool in the tin, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
3. Break up the chocolate and melt over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave on Medium for 1-2 mins. Drizzle over the cake and leave to set.

Banana and Apple Loaf

I got the Tana Ramsey book for myself at Christmas, even though it has meat things in and we are all veggie. I was lured by the homemade Jammy Dodgers recipe. I haven't made those yet but hope to do them very soon. I got put off proper JD's when I watched a kids programme that did a visit to the factory. It really is quite yuk and very offputting!

The first thing I have made is the Banana and Apple Loaf (yes, another banana recipe!) The kids had loads of chocolate and biscuits for Christmas so I hadn't baked anything to give them chance to get through it all but I had complaints from them (which I'm secretly pleased about!) so had to make this in a hurry. In Girls' case complaining consisted of pointing at every tupperware box she saw and screeching. It's nice to be appreciated.

Banana and Apple Loaf
150g light brown sugar
85g butter, softened
2 large eggs, beaten
4 medium bananas, mashed
1 apple, grated (it doesn't say if it's meant to be peeled or not, I peeled mine)
250g self raising flour
1/4 of a tsp fresh nutmeg (I used jar stuff)
1/4 of a teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt

• Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin and preheat oven to 180/Gas 4
• Cream together butter, sugar and eggs
• Stir in the mashed banana and apple then sieve in the flour, nutmeg, salt and cinnamon
• Mix well to combine, pour into loaf tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until skewer comes out clean
  
• Remove to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes. Turn out from tin and continue cooling. Allow to cool completely before cutting into slices.
• Serve. (Yes it really says this in the book, has it's own bullet point and everything. Do we need to be told? If so you really shouldn't be allowed to play with the oven.)

The resulting cake is quite dense, I'd have thought it would take more raising agent than just the self raising flour but it was fine. It smells lovely.

Blueberry and Apple Loaf Cake

Please excuse the picture, I was having new camera trouble and that's the clearest one I managed to get before the cake was attacked in an after dinner frenzy. Boy managed to negotiate himself two slices as apparently it is 'really fantastic cake.'

I was having a pre-Christmas clear out of my freezer and I happened upon half a bag of blueberries I had bought to make Delia's Blueberry Muffin Cake. I wasn't overly keen on it and the rest of the bluberries got forgotten underneath the sweetcorn until today. Though to be honest I wish the sweetcorn was forgotten, it's vile stuff.

I didn't feel like making muffins and went online (ok, when aren't I online?) to find something else that I could make with my limited ingredients, I haven't been shopping and don't really feel like it in this weather! I'd probably end up letting the trolley blow into someones paintwork. I really do have to go tomorrow though or dinner will be very unusual.

Anyway I managed to find a simple recipe at my first port of call, Nigella.com. I didn't do the layering thing I just mixed the apple and blueberries into the mixture as I hadn't got anything to glaze the top and I thought the kids would prefer it like that anyway. I was a bit worried about using the berries straight from frozen I always imagine they will make the cake all purple and soggy. I rinsed all the excess ice off them just as a precaution. I was surprised when I cut into it and they had behaved themselves. Really pleased with this one, will definitely make it again.