Old Fashioned Lemon Buttermilk Cake

Lemon cake is one of those decadent treats that I try not to bake too often, mostly because I can't stop eating it.
There is a lot of butter in this cake, I really mean a lot. But this is also one of the best lemon cake that I have tasted and it will fill your home with an aroma so alluring you will be tempted to sit next to the oven while it bakes. That's right more lemon flavour. Love it !!

Ingredients:

• 225g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 11/2cups of sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 cups of plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• grated zest of 2 lemons
• juice of 1 large lemon

For the glaze:

• 11/2 cup of sugar
• juice of 1 large lemon

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 10" bundt pan and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy and pale. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. and scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a small bowl. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Do not overmix, just fold in gently until the batter looks well combine. Fold in the lemon zest and juice. Don't worry if the batter appear curdled with the addition of the lemon juice.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake the cake for 1 hour or until the skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the glaze.

For the glaze: in a mediun bowl add the lemon juice and the sugar. Mix vigorously to get rid of any lumps of sugar. If the glase isn't thick enough to coat the cake, add more sugar 1 tablesppon at a time, mixing well between additions. The glaze should be thick but pourable.

Invert the cake on a wire rack  set over a baking sheet. Pour the glaze over hot cake and allow to cool completely before cutting.

Banana Cake with chocolate frosting

A nice slice of this banana cake goes well with a nice cup of coffee

Ingredients:

• 75g butter
• 160g sugar
• 2 medium eggs, beaten
• 200g self raising flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 75g chopped walnut
• 450g overripe bananas

For the icing:

• 25g butter
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 175g icing sugar
• few drops of vanilla extract
• extra chopped walnut for decoration

Method:

Preheat oven at 180c/160c for fan oven. Grease amd line am 18cm round cake tin.

Reserve half a banana for the icing and place the rest of the bananas in a mixing bowl. Mash until smooth, then set aside.

In a alrge bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs and bananas, beat until smooth. Stir in the flour, salt and bicarbonate soda and mix throughly. Quickly mix in the walnuts, then pour into the baking tin.

Bake in the oven for about 45-60 minutes or until the skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Turn out the banana cake and leave to cool on a wire rack.

For the icing: place the butter and cocoa powder in a small saucepan. Heat until melted. Mash the reserved banana until very smooth. Add the melted butter mixture to the mash banana and beat well, then add the icing sugar and vanilla extract. Beat throughly until very smooth. use to ice the top of the banana cake once it has cooled. Decorate with chopped walnuts if you wish.

Banana Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Got a bunch of over-riped bananas from a colleague of mine who wanted to chuck away the bananas into the bin. Told her I am going to be the fairy godmother who will turn thoe bananas into a lovely cakes!!!!! I completely have no idea what I am going to do but I do not want to bake another boring classic banana cake. Decided to google and this lovely recipe & decided to have a go. I wasn't sure you'd actually be able to taste the banana but the banana flavour really shines through. Top it all off  with a creamy peanut butter frosting, and you have an incredible delicious cupcakes!! Overall I was happy with how these turn out-after all who doesn't love banana & peanut butter? Try them soon!

Ingredients:

• 75g butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the peanut butter frosting:

• 225g cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 2 tsbp milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c/160c for fan oven.

Sift flour,baking powder, baking soda and salt together and set aside.

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs, vanilla extract, bananas and buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients and mix till well combine.

Line the muffin tin with the paper cups. Spoon the batter into the cups about 2/3 full.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting: Cream together cream cheese and peanut butter. Add vanilla and then powdered sugar one cup at a time alternating with milk. Beat until it is a spreading consistency.

Spread or pipe on cooked cupcakes and garnish with some melted chocolate.

Bon Appetit!