When the longest month of the year disappearsin front of your eyes at full speed - a lemon cake that brings sun into Winter


I always tend to find January to be the longest month of the year - not the dreariest, saddest, most tiring, that will be March! - the month that coming straight up in the heels of Christmas hols, tends to drag on and on with no ending in sight. I don't dislike January, as I actually have this deep love for its bleak, pale white light, and the biting cold outside, the briskness it brings to my step as I go to and fro on the school runs, the wind assaulting my hair and freezing my nose and ears; I do like January - much more than I like March, I don't like arch at all!! - but it always feels so long, it always feels like I am going to have all the time in the world to accomplish so many things, see to so many projects that have been left behind, start many new things.


This year, for no reason whatsoever, it did not feel that way. All of a sudden, January was gone and it was February already, and I was staring at my blank screen wondering where the hell did the month go that I had done nothing with it!! I usually take a breather out of writing during December, as my kiddo gets two weeks off from school, and hubby one week vacation around that time - do try to write a mistery novel or a fantasy book with a child always striving for attention, it won't work, I tell you! Christmas break is to spend time with him, playing and horsing around. Same as for Easter vacations, there's no writing done. - and I end up putting away all my writing work. So I always promise to pick up the pace come January, and I had a couple of chapters all lined up to be written for my fantasy book, I was full of good intentions and had the longest month ahead of me in which to fulfil them.


And yet, it didn't go according to plan! (When does it ever??) I found myself at the end of January and completely unwares of being at the end of January, with a few scribbles behind me and a whole world of mistakes to correct on the book. Revising is my downfall, I hate doing it, but must, or else I'll be calling a spade a spade on Book I and by Book III I'll be saying a spade is a bucket. So writing, when it came to my novels and books, was quite frankly out of the picture during most of the past month, as I struggled with my mistery novel, but mostly realized I had forgotten about so many important pieces of imformation on my fantasy book I would have to reread it all again. Blogging, on the other hand, seemed to go very smoothly. Like I said before, I have found myself spending a lot more time inside the kitchen cooking up stuff, trying out things, and I have spent a lot of time photographing, styling and editing those dishes I have been cooking. So there's a lot to share during February!


The only clue I've had as to January reaching its end was the lemons. When I saw myself down to only three of my mother in law's organic lemons, after having used the rest on lemon curds and what not, I knew we were reaching the end of the month. And I immediately started craving a redolent, citrus infused lemon cake! Lemon cakes in Winter, along with lemon curds and lemon pies and all that is lemon and citrusy during January; is something I find so much comfort in. THe scent, the colour, put Spring in my mind, as a bit of a reminder that warmer days are coming, sunshine and all its glory are just around the corner. So I like my lemon cake to look very yellow - call me crazy! - and because of that I tend to add just a tad of cornflour to my lemon cakes, it does help improve the colour. I think lemon cake is such an easy, go to recipe, it always tastes good, because of the tartness in lemons it doesn't get overly sweet (we like our cakes easy on the sugar), and it's quite easy to bake, you know? A simple, easy recipe, that can also be adapted into an orange cake, or even a pineapple cake if you happen to have canned pineapple around the house...


And here is what you'll be needing for this cake:
  • 150 gr flour
  • 50 gr cornflour
  • 200 gr butter, slightly melted
  • 150 gr sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 heaped tsp baking powder
  • the juice and the zest of one large lemon
Start by turning on the oven at 180º and lining a tin with baking parchement. Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, then add half of the lemon juice and the whole of its zest, mixing well. Alternatively, add the combined flours and baking powder with the eggs, always making sure it mixes well before you add another batch. Pour the batter into the cake mould and bake for 35 - 40 minutes, using a skewer to test at the 30 minute mark. Once the cake is ready, let it cool in the tin for ten minutes, then take it off the tin and allow to cool almost completely on a cooling rack. Move to a platter and use a skewer to punch tiny holes into the cake, make sure there is still some warmth i the cake but it must not be piping hot. Drizzle the rest of the lemo juice over the cake, it will be absorbed into those tiny punctures and it will enhance the whole flavour and the scent. Serve with a cup of chamomile tea, the combination is just about perfect!



Comments

  1. Ahahaha, muito obrigado :P sim, embora goste imenso de óculos é muito mais confortável não os ter :D

    Não te cansas de fazer coisas tão boas? :P

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    1. ahahahah, este bolo é muito simplezinho, muito básico, nada de especial na verdade, o que eu gosto mesmo é de fotografar a comida, isto de cozinhar é mais uma desculpa que outra coisa qualquer!

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  2. Adorei, parece facil, mas não me dou bem com o forno xD
    Vou tentar ;)
    Beijinhos
    http://the3oclock.blogspot.pt

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  3. Aaaaah, como vou adorar finalmente ter um livro teu na mão! Escreves tão bem, que será com toda a certeza devorado em três tempos pela minha pessoa! Por isso, vá, toca a rever, os teus fãs esperam-te! hehehe Mas também fazes fotografias tão boas e escreves igualmente bem nestas bandas, por isso é bom que tenhas tido tempo para te empenhar no L'air du Temps...deste modo, não está, de todo, tudo perdido!

    Eu cá achei a primeira metade de Janeiro super longa...mas a segunda, com a aproximação do exame de 1º ano da especialidade, passou a correr... ;)

    beijinhos, Nádia
    My Fashion Insider

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    1. Parecendo que não, ler um elogio teu relativo ás minhas fotos é algo que me deixa com um bruto sorriso na cara, porque em boa verdade se diga foi com um tutorial teu que eu comecei a editar melhor as minhas fotos, looool!!! E muito obrigada por esse tutorial, que eu via-me mesmo grega com o gimp!!

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  4. É perfeitamente compreensível, querida :D
    Eu, feliz ou infelizmente, sempre passei este dia sozinho. Ao menos é dinheirinho que meto ao bolso ahah :D


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    1. ás vezes mais vale só que mal acompanhado, essa é que é essa!!! ;)

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  5. Senti tanto isso este ano com Janeiro. E já estamos a caminhar para o meio de Fev!! P este andar chego aos 60 sem reparar. Eu este podia comer, com leitinho de amêndoa : )

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    1. sim, este bolo pdias comer á vontade eheh. e pão de soda tb, como n é amassado n cria glúten, terias é de ver com que farinhas poderias confeccionar

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  6. só te digo que está tão, mas tão lindo, com uma cor tão bonita que até parece que consigo sentir-lhe o aroma...senti o mesmo relativamente a janeiro, mas estou mesmo mortinha para que o inverno e fevereiro passem e que chegue rapidamente a primavera com os meses solarengos e a casa nova cheia de luz!!! lemon cake always!!!

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    1. tb já me apetece o tempo mais quente e soalheiro...

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  7. i wanna read a book from you so bad! also, im not usually so keen on cakes but i wanna try your lemon cake so bad.
    my mom would love it too, she puts lemon on everything, literallyyyyy everything!

    also january is my favorite month and it just flew!

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    1. adoro este bolo, é super simples e fica sempre bom, e também meto limão em quase tudo ahahahaha

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