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REVIEW: Iced Lemon Curd Layer Cake [deliaonline.com]

When you have parents in their fifties, it becomes increasingly difficult to know just what to give to them on their birthdays. Now, this year wasn't an issue with my father, as I was off living in Italy and being the sort he is, he didn't notice the lack of a gift because whenever he wants something he simply goes out and buys it himself. This makes it impossible to find anything for the man who believes an object unnecessary unless it fulfils a particular purpose.

So, to make up for this awful daughterly behaviour, I decided to try harder with my mother's birthday. (And after all, I was back in the UK...!) When I was very small, we're talking about five here, I would simply pick out a pair of earrings for her using my father's money. As I got a little older, and gifts started to come out of my own pocket money, I would choose different scented candles and cute candle holders. Now, though, that seems a little wanting, and as she has always been the kind that appreciates the home-made much more than the shop-bought, I decided to bake her a cake.

That, however, presented a slight problem. My mother is notoriously fussy when it comes to sweet things so I decided to ask her to help me out with ideas of cakes she might actually like, rather than just bake her the huge chocolate extravaganza I would do for myself. She first came up with a Victoria sponge, which we deemed very un-birthday-like, but eventually settled on a lemon cake. 

I found a recipe on deliaonline.com for an Iced Lemon Curd Layer Cake. Bingo! It just so happens my mother is a sucker for lemon curd. So after a quick trip to Morrison's to source the ingredients, I began. Mostly, as I am much more familiar with vegan baking than traditional baking, I did follow the recipe as instructed by Delia and resisted the temptation to make alterations, which paid off! (And taught me a valuable lesson: to avoid kitchen disasters, always listen to those who know more than you do. Actually...this really could be applied to more things than simply baking, but I digress.) The only thing I didn't do as per instructions was using the right size sandwich tins, so instead of slicing each sponge layer in half I left them intact, and we simply used up the extra lemon curd on toast the next day.

And, as for how the cake tasted...well, despite the fact that we were all very full, we had second helpings. The recipe calls for three lemons, so the flavour comes through with every bite. The combination of lemon curd as a filling with a lemon icing glaze on top of the cake adds a nice change in texture and jazzes up the moist-yet-springy sponge cake nicely. Definitely one to bake again.

 

Breakfast Smoothie

There are some days you just don't want to get out of bed, days you would rather just crawl back under the covers and stay there for the foreseeable future. Of course, the last thing you want to do when you do finally drag yourself away from the warmth of your duvet is faff around making breakfast, or even eating anything particularly heavy. Or maybe that's just me! Either way, this smoothie is a great way to help reach your five a day, and gives you an energy boost whilst keeping you full until lunch.

The secret power ingredient: oats. Trust me.

Now this is really very free form. All you really need is a blender, some fruit, some oats, and away you go. It's really a matter of what you like, and leaning what ratio of solid:liquid creates the kind of texture you like. I'm a fan of thick smoothies, but not so thick you would have to use a spoon! I still want to drink it, after all.

These ingredients were turned into the smoothie pictured above, and the yield turned out to be a little too much for three people.

• Three small sweet apples, diced
• Half a mango, diced
• Six strawberries, halved
• A punnet of blueberries
• One banana, sliced
• Three medium sized handfuls of oats (I used porridge oats, but really you can go with whatever you like here...doesn't really matter what size they are, but of course a smaller milled grain will probably make for a smoother texture)
• A good dollop of dairy free ice cream (substitute for whatever ice cream you like, or even yoghurt, or even leave it out altogether since it is in no way essential)

1. Pour between a third and half a cup of water in the bottom of your blender. This will just make it easier for the blades to get hold of the fruit to start the blending process, reducing the load on the motor and hopefully increasing its lifespan.
2. Add all ingredients to the blender, putting soft fruits in first, and pulse until it begins to break down before blitzing until you reach a smooth consistency.
3. Enjoy!

If you want your smoothie to be a little sweeter, try adding some honey or maple syrup. If you try to follow a high protein diet, you could easily add some protein powder to this mix. If, after all that, you find it too thick, just add a little more water (or milk of your choosing...if you are feeling adventurous, give almond milk a whirl) until it reaches the consistency you prefer. Like I say, the key is experimentation, so get creative and get drinking smoothies!

Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce

Buying ready-made pasta sauce. We’re all guilty of it at some point. Some of us skulk down the aisle and sneak it in to the supermarket trolley ashamed, hoping nobody spots us. Some of us are more brazen about it, and proudly peruse the shelves looking for the best steal. Whatever your opinion on it, jars of pasta sauce are abundant in every student kitchen up and down the country, since pasta is undoubtedly a staple food group! Sure, jars of sauce can be a time saver, but did you know you can make your own, far superior sauce, more cheaply? It won’t even take you very long - win-win. Read on, and no longer will it be necessary to be a slave to Lloyd Grossman et al…

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 decent sized cloves of garlic
• 400g can of chopped tomatoes
• A good handful of fresh basil
• Salt and pepper

1. Remove the ends and peel the garlic cloves. Finely dice, and add with the oil to a pan over moderate heat. Allow the garlic to become fragrant for a minute or two, being careful not to burn. 
2. Add the tomatoes to the pan, and heat through gradually. Add a little salt and pepper to taste.
3. Roughly chop the washed basil and wilt into the sauce.
4. Serve over pasta with a few mini mozzarella balls, or parmesan, and a couple more basil leaves.

It’s as simple as that! For a money saving tip, or if you can’t get hold of it, substitute the fresh basil with 2 tsp of dried basil, and add it to the pan at the same time as the garlic.

Want to be a pasta pro? There is a key rule to bear in mind to push your sauce from okay to delicious: the better quality your ingredients, the better quality your sauce. And want to shake it up a little? How about trying variations…Fry up some chestnut mushrooms and stir them in to the completed sauce, or maybe grate in some courgette and peppers. Fancy a bit of a kick? Add a little finely chopped chilli pepper with the garlic.

This recipe freezes well, so make a larger batch of sauce and save the leftovers in individual portion sizes, for reheating at a later date. No longer do you have any excuse to buy jars of pasta sauce under the guise of saving time!