Tangy Lemon Crème Fraîche Cake

Gather ye lemons while ye may....


Sunshine on a plate. That's what I like to call this zesty lemon cake.

Its flavor sparkles! It is zingy and tangy and creamy all at the same time. The "pucker factor" is what I look for in a lemon dessert and this recipe does not disappoint.

I added some sliced strawberries, fresh from the market, and some chantilly for mon mari.




Lemon Crème Fraîche Cake
serves 8

1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (4 ½ ounces) butter
¾ cup superfine sugar (I have made it with regular granulated sugar and that was fine too)
1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups self-raising flour (cake flour)
½ cup crème fraîche (or sour cream)
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Place the butter, sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer (or use a hand mixer) and beat until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and beat well to incorporate, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple of times.
Mix in the flour, crème fraîche and lemon juice on low speed.
Immediately pour mixture in a greased, 8 inch square cake pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serve warm with more crème fraîche or chantilly. And strawberries, if you like. Pin It

Feeling Like My Old Self

This virus has finally released me from it's bondage. I feel like a human being again, not a tired, crabby, dismal blob. My husband is breathing a huge sigh of relief because I have not been much fun to be around lately!

And I've been cooking again.
Thursday night I made two dishes from Meena's inspiring blog, Hooked on Heat, for my husband's Bridge group. The meal was fabulous! Dahiwali Chicken Curry, Alu-Pyaaz Fry (Fried Potatoes with Onions) and Basmati rice. Merci Meena!
Last night two American friends came by for dinner and I made this wonderful dish. The original recipe didn't call for chili flakes, so feel free to leave them out if you don't want the extra kick. And I doubled the recipe to serve four. The chicken was tangy, moist and perfectly matched with the lemony chickpeas. I started the meal with a spinach salad with warm bacon, shallot dressing.

Spicy Mustard Chicken with Chickpeas
serves 2

1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp red chili flakes
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
400g (13oz) tin chickpeas
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp chopped parsley

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees, or 220C (gas mark 7). Combine the mustard, chili flakes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and one clove of garlic, and brush the chicken thighs with the mixture. Season well with salt and ground pepper.

2. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and, when hot, add the chicken, skin side down. Sear for 3-4 minutes, then turn it over. Remove the pan from the heat and baste the chicken with any remaining marinade. If the pan has a heatproof handle, transfer it to the heated oven; otherwise, transfer the chicken to a baking dish and place in the oven. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and golden.

3. While the chicken is cooking, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place them with the extra virgin olive oil, remaining garlic and the lemon juice and zest in a saucepan over a gentle heat and warm thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Just before serving, stir in the parsley.
4. Serve the warm chickpeas with the chicken.

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