Lemon and Raspberries Layer Cake

I made this for Mr Greedy Frog’s birthday. We gathered a few friends and relatives and had a lovely, relaxed barbecue in our garden. This cake was the perfect conclusion to the meal: it is special enough to be a Birthday cake, yet it isn’t too fussy. And it is also very easy to make, which is always a bonus when you are entertaining. I made the sponge the night before, then made the filling and assembled the cake on the day. Easy, peasy!

You will need:

For the sponge:

225 g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

200 g caster sugar

200 g butter

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp milk

Zest 1 lemon

For the filling and topping:

400 g medium-fat soft cheese

Zest and juice 1 lemon

100 g icing sugar + 1 tbsp for dusting

4 tbsp lemon curd

200 g raspberries

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180ºC/fan 160ºC/gas 4. Line a deep, well-greased 18cm round tin.

Put all the ingredients except the milk into a large bowl and whisk until well combined (or use a stand mixer). Add the milk and gently stir it through.

Pour the batter into the tin, and bake for 50 to 60 min or until a skewer comes out clean.  Cool in the tin for 10 min, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

When the cake has cooled down, make the filling. Beat the cream cheese, zest, juice and 100 g icing sugar until smooth. Reserve.

Cut the sponge into 3 layers of equal thickness. Spread the bottom layer with a third of the filling, top with the middle layer and more filling, then the top layer. Spread the remaining filling over the top of the cake, dollop the lemon curd all over, and finish with the raspberries. Dust with icing sugar.

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Quick Sausage Pasta for Two

Last night, Mr GreedyFrog was away, so I was cooking dinner just for me and my Little Greedy Tadpole.

Like a lot of toddlers, she adores pasta, so this sort of dish is always a winner with her. And it is also pretty popular with adults: it is full of flavour, healthy, and will be on the table in about 20 min.

You will need:

300 g wholewheat pasta (I used penne)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 good quality sausages
1 x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tsp finely chopped lemon zest
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
Salt, pepper

Method:

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.

Meanwhile, heat up the oil in a medium size pan. Gently fry the onion for about 2 min.

With a sharp knife, cut open the sausage casings, and squeeze out the sausages. Break up the sausagemeat into small balls, and add to the onion along with the garlic. Cook until brown on all sides.

Add the lemon zest and the tomatoes, stir and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down, season and simmer for about 10 min. Add the chopped parsley, and serve with the drained pasta.

Lemon Posset

I had never heard of lemon posset before moving to England, but it is fair to say that I am a convert. It is full of flavour, easy to make, and it is a great way to end an informal meal.

It is also a handy recipe to have in your repertoire if you know anyone who has an egg allergy.

The recipe below is adapted from Michel Roux’s “Desserts”, which in my non-religious household is the equivalent to the Bible.

You will need (for 6):

6 lemons
375 g caster sugar (plus 2 tbsp for the blanching syrup)
700 ml double cream

Method:

Remove the zest off 2 lemons, slice thinly. Pour 250 ml water into a pan, add 2 tbsp sugar, bring to the boil. Add the lemon zest, blanch for 1 min, then drain and reserve.

Squeeze all 6 lemons, straining the juice into a saucepan. Add the sugar, and heat gently, stirring constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Bring the cream to the boil, then immediately pour in the lemon syrup, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Strain the mixture into a jug (this is important as the mixture will curdle slightly when you add the syrup) and pour into 6 serving glasses. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

When ready to serve, sprinkle the reserved zest on top.