A couple of receipes..

Here's the receipes for the cakes I made the other weekend when I had my flymeet :-)

Banana, sultana and apricot bread

75g dried apricots (the squidgy ones that come ready to eat)
75g sultanas
1 lemon
100g soft but not melted, unsalted butter
125g caster sugar
2 large eggs
3 large ripe bananas
200g self raising flour

A loaf tin measuring about 13 x 23 x 7cm, baking parchment or loaf tin liner, chopping board, sharp knife, grater, mixing bowl, wooden spoon, fork, plate, sieve, large metal spoon and wire cooling rack.

Preheat the oven to 160 deg C/Gas mark 3. Line the loaf tin with baking parchment or even better use a loaf tin liner.
Chop up the apricots so the pieces are roughly the same size as the sultanas. Grate the zest of the lemon.
Cream the butter and sugar in the mixing bowl with the wooden spoon until they're well blended. Break in an egg and beat it into the mixture completely, then beat in the other egg.
Add the dried fruit and lemon zest.
Mash the bananas well with the fork on a plate, and add them to the bowl. Stir well.
Sift the flour into the bowl and carefully fold this into the mixture with the large metal spoon, making sure you dont leave any "pockets" of flour.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and gently level the top with the back of the spoon. Put the tin in oven and bake for about an hour - check the cake after 50 minutes.
It is ready when you can insert a knife into the middle and it comes out completely clean. Leave the cake in the tin on a wire to cook for about 15 minutes, then turn it out of the tin and peel off the paper.

Store the cake in an airtight tin and it will keep moist for a few days.

(copywrite Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall)


Luscious Lemon Cake

4oz soft margarine or butter
6oz caster sugar
6oz self raising flour
4 tablespoons milk
2 large eggs
Grated rind of one lemon

Syrup
3 rounded tablespoons icing sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Grease and line a 2 pound loaf tin. Set oven to 350 deg F, or Gas Mark 4. Cream fat and sugar, add eggs, sifted flour, finely grated lemon rind and milk.
Mix well to a soft dropping consistency. Put in tin, smooth top and bake for 40-45 minutes until firm.
Mix sifted icing sugar and lemon juice and pour over cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Leave in tin until completely cold.

I prefer it without the syrup personally.

Store the cake in an airtight tin and it will keep for a few days.