Once upon a Saturday, whilst over at our friends’ Don & Elly for dinner, I said to my dear friend Sandra:

WS: Sandra, I have a proposition to make…
SB: Oh, really?? LOL
WS: Yup. I would like to do food photography. Well, more food photography. I was thinking that since you’re such a FABULOUS cook; You cook. I shoot. We eat!!! HA HA HA
SB: Cool…. Yes. I’m up for it! Anyway, did I tell you that Becca & I have decided on the design for her wedding cake?
WS: Oh wow!! You must tell me more …….

Anyway, come Sunday morning, I packed my camera gear ( which includes a Canon EOS 5D, several lens, tripod, flashgun…. ) and got his lordship to drive me round to Sandra’s. Ok, I could have walked round since it’s only a 10 minutes walk. But hey, he was on his way out to get dog food anyway!!!

Chat, chat, chat and several other distractions later (well, I HAD to take photos of Spook & Sophie, and then there are Priscilla & Elvis. Then there’s tea & cakes…LOL), we finally got down to work. So, for our very first collaboration, Sandra will be baking a Luscious Lemon Cake. A recipe that has been handed down to her from her mother.

It’s a very simple cake to make BUT IT TASTES DELICIOUS!!!! The whole process from start to finish should take you less than an hour and a half, unless of course you have a photographer who wants to take shots of EVERYTHING and just gets in the way!!!!

Happy baking, but most of all HAPPY EATING!!!

The Recipe: Makes 8-10 servings. Best eaten freshly baked & in the company of loved ones For the cake: 4 oz butter or margarine 6 oz caster sugar 6 oz self raising flour (or 6 oz plain flour + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder) 4 tbsp milk grated rind of 1 1/2 lemon 2 large eggs For the syrup: 3 oz icing sugar juice of 1 1/2 large lemon Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Line the bottom of a well-oiled 23 x 13 x 7.5cm (9 x 5 x 3in) loaf tin with baking parchment. Mix together all cake ingredients until it resembles mayonnaise – smooth in texture and even in colour. Do not over-beat or the cake will be tough. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown on top and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and stand the tin on a cooling rack. Gently heat icing sugar + lemon juice until clear syrup is formed. About 3-4mins. DO NOT BOIL. Prick warm cake all over with fork (skewer is best). Gently pour hot syrup over, spooning/spreading from sides until completely absorbed. Leave it to cool then turn out. Serve sprinkled with icing sugar.

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