Baking against the odds and the lemon cake everyone needs in their repetoire

So, I bought Annie Bell's Baking Bible the other week and decided to bake the apple oat bars.  All set and ready to go when I realise the only ingredient I don't have is ground almonds...  Back to the drawing board....

Next up, I decide that I ought to use up the jar of lemon curd that's been lurking in the kitchen for a while waiting for me to make one of my favourite easy cakes.  If only I could open it...  Even rubber gloves didn't help.  Unfortunately Fantastic Mr Fox was out and so my usual jar opening option was available.  Still, via the magic of the internet I get some advice and the jar opens.  Then my (digital) scales give up the ghost part way through the process and I have to revert to my analogue ones (I knew I had spare scales for a reason).  But finally I got the cake made.  

So is the cake worth proceeding in the face of battles with my kitchen?  Oh yeah....  Basically, it's a sponge but made with lemon curd - you put half the jar in as you cream the eggs and butter and dot the rest on the top of the cake to get a deliciously moist  lemony sponge with ingredients you have to hand.  As part of my continuing efforts to get healthier, I used some wholemeal self-raising flour this time (about a quarter of the total flour).  Absolutely one of my favourites and I usually make it all in the food processor - fast results and the dishwasher does all the cleaning up.  What's not to like?  

You can find the recipe (from Xanthe Clay) here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/3318608/Readers-recipes-something-simple-for-the-weekend.html  

And here's the finished cake - showing you that I'm not good at photography, lining cake tins or necessarily timing cakes (the lemon curd can catch easily).  Or showing you that even if you don't get those things perfect, you can still have a delicious cake.  




Happy baking!