If Life Gives You Lemons....

"A person cooking is a person giving.  Even the simplest of food is a gift" Laurie Colwin

Life has given me lemons...literally!  Lemons are in season at the moment in Italy and I was lucky enough to get a sack of organic lemons from a friend who grows them (click here to read the health benefits of lemons).  After thinking what to do with all those lemons (other than lemonade) I remembered my friend Laura had given me a lemon cake recipe, that has now become part of my collection of recipes from around the world.   The cake was a big hit with my kids and other friends started asking for the recipe.  So here it goes,

1 1/2 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

3 eggs

1 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of butter; softened

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of lemon extract

1/3 cups lemon juice

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  In another bowl, mix eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice.  Pour dry ingredients into wet ones, mixing and blending until smooth.  Add oil and mix a little more.  Pour the batter into a well greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.  Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Lemon Icing: 1 cup of powder sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract.  Combine all ingredients and frost the cake after it has cooled.  Let the icing set before slicing the cake.

Enjoy!!

Something else we are thinking of doing with our organic lemons is Limoncello, an after dinner liquor from the Sorrentine Peninsula that is simply amazing.  If all goes well, I will share the recipe in a following post.

Arrivederci for now,