Recipe of the Week - Luscious Lemon Drizzle

Ok so I haven't posted a cake recipe for what seems like ages as I'm really trying to be good and shift the last few baby pounds, so of course haven't been baking as much as it's normally left to me to eat 95% of anything I make, oh the joys of living with a "professional athlete". Anyway I must have been complaining of a lack of treats and sweetness, (I can't cope without cake) so my darling husband baked me a beautiful Lemon Drizzle Cake. And not just any old cake, a gooey lemony delight of a cake. It is best warm out of the oven with a huge dollop of silky smooth creme fraiche, but I can also cope with it cold.

This recipe is one of Tana Ramsays, and the batter seems a little dry but once the cake is baked the syrup is poured over it, intensifying the flavour and moistness.

Ingredients
225g Caster sugar
225g unsalted butter
4 eggs
Finely grated zest of one lemon
225g Self-raising flour

1 1/2 lemons
85g caster sugar

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Beat together 225g softened unsalted butter and 225g caster sugar until pale and creamy, then add 4 eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing through. Sift in 225g flour, then add the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and mix until well combined. Line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) with greaseproof paper, then spoon in the mixture and level the top with a spoon.

Bake for 45-50 mins until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the juice of 1 1/2 lemons and 85g caster sugar to make the drizzle. Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork, then pour over the drizzle - the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve. Will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Recipe of the week - Home Smoked BBQ Ribs

Honey's daddy is a massive foodie, so much so that he started a hog roast and sausage company The Jolly Hog & Sausage. Because of this he is always eating doing research. Smoking, bbqing or cooking some form of meat and testing new recipes is a given in our house. This month he's on a rib mission and made these awesome melt in the mouth home smoked BBQ ribs.
The recipe is below if you fancy a rib fest too. Leave out the hot chilli sauce if kids are having them, although our 2 year old still loves them with this in.
We used a smoker, but if you don't have one of these monstrosities in your garden taking up loads of space (lucky you) then of course you can of course use a normal coal BBQ.

Ingredients
2 racks pork ribs
Salt & pepper
Paprika
5 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Glug of hot chilli sauce
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
Worcestershire sauce
Whiskey smoked wood chips
Cider

Lay the racks of ribs out onto a tray and season really well with the salt, pepper and paprika making sure you rub it in so it really infuses well. Cover and leave overnight or for at least 12 hours.
Get the charcoals white hot in your smoker / BBQ then stack on one side. Pour the smoked wood chips on top of the charcoals.
On the other side of the smoker add a tray filled with a cider of your choice.
Wrap the ribs in foil, making sure they are sealed tight and place on top of the tray of cider. Put the lid on your BBQ and let it smoke away 'low and slow' for a minimum of 5 hours (they are best if you can leave them overnight, remembering to check the coals are alight a couple of times).
Remove the ribs and tray of cider and spread the coal evenly over the bottom of your BBQ/ smoker.
In a bowl mix together the molasses, oil, vinegar, chilli sauce, splash of worcestershire sauce and ketchup. Pour this glaze over the ribs and return to BBQ until golden and sticky.

Enjoy served with a glass of ice cold beer, some homemade coleslaw and corn-on-the-cob.

Recipe of the week - The Hummingbird Cake

The Hummingbird cake from, you guessed it, the Hummingbird bakery cookbook, is a seriously yummy cake. Like the love child of a banana and carrot cake all rolled into one it is very sweet and very naughty. If you can't decided which to make, this is the perfect combo. Super easy too. It is meant to be made in three layers, and I'm sure it'd look far more spectacular if it was, but I could only fish out two round tins so had to make do.

Ingredients
300g caster sugar
3 eggs
300ml sunflower oil
270g peeled mashed bananas
1 tsp cinnamon
300g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
100g tinned pineapple, chopped into small chunks
100g shelled pecans (or walnuts)
Cream cheese icing
450g icing sugar
75g unsalted butter at room temperature
190g cold cream cheese

Method
Put the sugar, eggs, oil, banana and cinnamon in a free standing mixer with paddle attachment and beat until it is all incorporated. Slowly add the flour, bicarb, salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until it is all well mixed.
Stir in the pineapple and nuts by hand.
Pour evenly into three lined 20cm round cake tins then bake in a preheated oven of 170C for 20 - 25 mins (or longer if using two tins) until it is golden brown and bounces back when touched. Leave to cool slightly in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing beat the icing sugar and butter together until throughly mixed before adding the cream cheese. Turn the mixer up to high and beat for at least 5 minutes to create a light and fluffy icing.

When the cakes are cold layer up with the icing, remembering to leave enough to cover the sides. Decorate with a light sprinkling of cinnamon and any left over nuts.

Enjoy served with oceans of tea.