h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Made a Lemon Pound Cake this evening.

1Lb Butter
1Lb Sugar
1Lb Plain Flower
Eight Eggs
2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder

The recipe called for a tea spoon full of lemon juice. So I cut a lemon in half and gave it a good squeeze. Produced about two tablespoons of lemon juice. So I put the lot in. Added a bit of mixed spice to taste. Its tastes delicious.

Can be eaten on its own or soaked in custard. In the summer ice cream and lemon cake makes a very good snack with a cup of hot sweet strong tea.

Hmmm... this sounds scrummy... me guesses that you enjoy cooking...

Greebs..xx

You Greebo, you guessed right! I do enjoy cooking. Eating something you have made yourself gives it a taste that cannot be matched.

I learnt to cook out of necessity. It's cheaper than buying ready made stuff from the supermarket. All it takes is a bit of time and I have that in abundance.

Next week its going to be Death by Chocolate. I have to be sparing with that as it can be a bit expensive, but oh so nice.

Donald

Me must admit to not being a cook myself... well not of the cake variety anyway... ~grin~... So me has never tried Death By Chocolate... being a vegetarian... the DBC cake in the shops all seem to not for veggies... which is quite a shame as me has always thought that if me has to die... by chocolate seems to be a rather nice way to go... not that me would want to die mind you... ~grin~

Greebs..xx

I grew up in a house landscaped in citrus, so I will add a small tip to your recipe. Use a zester, or a really fine hand with a paring knife, and (for the amount of batter in this particular recipe) scrape off about a tsp of the colored part of the peel of your lemon and rub the shreds into your sugar. If the idea of soft thready things in your cake bugs you, you can take them back out, but you don't need to.

The lemon flavor will really come alive after it's baked. The batter (temporarily) won't be as tasty, though.

You can add more juice, if you are careful. There is a problem with adding too much juice to a pound cake, as it can 'uncream' your sugar and butter, so be careful with this. I'm not sure why it happens.

Hi Sea Change,

Yes, I have noticed that adding to much liquid can have an adverse effect. (See bit on Guinness cake) I think it must be the milk in the butter curdling. I suppose it's bound to happen if you put to much in.

Ill try your advice with the lemon peel. Sound like it might give it real strong lemon flavour.

Donald

Hi Don. I look forward to you sharing your fruitcake recipe (should you decide to favour us with it). It will have to go some to beat those we occasionally get from a monastery, but it's all good!

Welcome aboard h2g2!

Hi FordsTowel,

I do two kinds of fruit cake, a light one and one a bit heavier. The light one uses the same mix as the pound cake, but without the lemon. In place 8oz of raisins and 8oz sultanas and 4ozs cherries. A level teaspoon full of mixed spice adds a bit to it as well.

For a more traditional Christmas/Wedding Cake I us this recipe from the BBC Cookery Department.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/christmascake_2359.shtml

You can play around with this and add or subtract bits to suit your own taste. Personally I leave out the mixed peel and replace it with about 4ozs of dried apricots. Not to keen on the marmalade either. A few chopped dried dates can give it a richer feel as well.

This should be left to mature for at least a month giving it a regular drink of rum or brandy to taste.

A slice of this with a piece of cheese as suggested by Azahar, all washed down with a pint of home brewed beer, what more could you want.

Donald

Mmmm! That's sounding like the good stuff!

This past season I saw a special on monastery fruit cakes. I was surprised to note that they injected brandy into the cake (through about 6 nozzles), and then, much later, soaked it in both Rum and Whisky (Or, Whiskey. They didn't specify that I recall.) for quite a spell.

I did notice that the 'Royal Icing' that the traditional Christmas cake called for is quite different from the 'Royal Icing' that my wife used to use to make decorations for cakes.

It certainly beat the 'bricks' that so many people complain about getting through the mail.

Five thumbs up for your recipe!

hi guess you are a super cook would you like to work in my restuarant?

Yes sarabrite, I would love to work in your restaurant. I think my fruit cake and chocolate cake would bring the customers in for miles around and my mince pies are famous around these parts - well at least within my family.

Donald

thats really cool it means that u are really very serious about it.my mother always wanted me to join her in the kitchen but i have no interest in cooking so atleast i can say that one i ill just fulfill her wish by making a lemon pound cake by urs recipe.

anyway enjoy your cooking and have fun.

I am one of those [whatever that is] that like my fruit cake every year,..like lemon anything..But do not much care for almond flavoring...... ... .. .

Good evening. You are one of the ffew people i truly have ever conversed with on this site... and i do come here quite often... im working on several projects, but nothing ever seems to get off the ground. i would liek to thank you for the information you found for me on thechhiker game (Again) and i would also like to say that i have not elvised ... jsut thought somone out there might care ... if you dont oh well, hopefully i'll be back to posting capasity soon, im sort of in a recovery proccess from surgery ... but i'm allright... and i have the guide ... and my towel

** that should say The Hitchhiker game... my laptop has such a pour keyboard... And its hard to type from a hospital bed. :/