When life (or a neighbour) gives you lemons...

I was given a bag full of lemons recently from my mother in law's neighbour, whose tree was overgrown with fruit. Let me tell you these lemons smell simply devine and their flavour is a good balance of sweet and sour. Also, because they are unwaxed and not sprayed with any pesticides, their zest is perfect for use in cooking.

With a bowl full of lemons ending up on my kitchen bench, I started to wonder about what deliciousness awaited them. So I dragged out the sugar, butter and eggs and set out to bake a simple lemon cake. I couldn't help taking a photo either...the image of these three ingredients together says that all will be right and that good things are in store.

I used the lemon zest and juice in both the cake batter and the icing as well. I like a strong lemony flavour but if you don't, I recommend cutting back on the zest in the icing.

I threw the cake in the oven and went to do a few little outside jobs. When I returned to the house, there was the most wonderful cake and lemony scent permeating from the kitchen.

I ended up taking this cake over to my mother's house where it was devoured for afternoon tea. And so beyond the lemons themselves, I love the fact that someone had too many lemons and decided to share them. Someone then turned those lemons into a cake. That cake was enjoyed by many smiling faces and the sugar, butter and eggs really were telling the truth...all was right and good things were in store indeed.

But this wasn't the end of the lemons. There are only so many you can use in a cake. Tune in tomorrow when I'll share another recipe that explains what became of all the lemons.

Zesty Lemon Cake:

Ingredients:
1 lemon, juice and zest
125gm butter, softened
1 ½ cups self raising flour
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup milk

Lemon Icing:
1 ½ cups pure icing sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of half lemon

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C (320 F). Prepare a 20cm round spring form cake tin.
2. Cream butter and sugar together until smooth and pale.
3. Add eggs one at a time.
4. Add flour, milk, lemon juice and zest and mix well.
5. Bake cake for about 40 minutes or until cooked. Check with a wooden skewer. If there is no cake batter on the skewer when inserted in the middle of the cake then it is cooked.
6. Make the lemon icing by mixing the sugar, juice and zest together to make a smooth but not too runny icing.
7. Allow the cake to cool completely before icing. As this is a sugar icing, allow about 20 minutes for the icing to set.