ORANGE DRIZZLE CAKE for EASTER

Orange Chocolate Drizzle Cake

 
Happy Easter!

I was going to do the predictable thing and make a lemon cake for after dinner today but decided, at the last minute, that an orange cake would be nice. So I just made my Lemon Drizzle cake with orange instead.

Ingredients

75g caster sugar
50g light brown sugar
100g self-raising flour

75g spelt flour
125g butter or marg

pinch of salt
zest of 1 orange

2 eggs

4 tblsps cow's or soya milk

Drizzle

50g icing sugar
juice of 1 orange (4 tblsps)

Chocolate topping
A few pieces of dark chocolate
1 tsp icing sugar

Orange drizzle

Method

·        Preheat oven to 180˚C

·        Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin
·        Zest and juice the orange

·        Cream the butter and caster sugar

·        Add the eggs and zest and beat well

·        Add flour and salt and fold in completely

·        Mix through the milk

·        Pour into the cake tin

·        Bake for 45 minutes or so, until golden on top, make sure it is cooked through with a cake tester/skewer
·        Make the syrup while the cake is cooking by gently heating the orange and icing sugar until the sugar is melted

·        Using your skewer, puncture the top of the cake and pour the syrup evenly over the cake

·        Cool completely in the tin
·        Melt the chocolate in a bowl over boiling water, stir in the icing sugar, mix thoroughly, drip over the cake

Yes, I sacrificed a chunk of my egg for the choccie topping. Saint!

Dessert :)

GALWAY FOOD FESTIVAL

We went into the Galway Food Festival yesterday - they had a gorgeous day for it. We enjoyed cakes from the Skeff and bread from Les Petits Douceurs down at Spanish Arch; the market at Woodquay was lively with chocolate makers and comedians, and we had a glorious lunch in Kai on Sea Road.The Festival continues today.

The Food Festival Village at Spanish Arch

Cakes from the Skeff

Bunny biccies from Simply Divine Cakes

Skeff stall

Cake by Niall Diviney of Simply Divine Cakes

Myself and Juno enjoying chickpea curry and 'parslip' soup at Kai

Chickpea curry with cucumber yog, Steve's leaves and mizuna grass

OAT & SESAME BISCUITS

I have a funny little book called Porridge by Margaret Briggs which I am fond of - it's kind of eccentric in tone. Often, before baking, I read through the ingredients to see if I have what I need but when I read the method an extra ingredient magically appears. Today, I decided to make these oat and sesame biscuits, and step 4 said 'Add the beaten egg and stir well'. Huh, Margaret?! You never mentioned egg in the ingredients...

Anyway, I used one egg and crossed my fingers and they turned out lovely. If I am making them again, though, I would use less sugar as they are rather sweet.

Oat and Sesame Biscuits

INGREDIENTS

150g porridge oats
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
75g brown sugar (or 50g for a less sweet taste)
125ml vegetable oil (I used rapeseed oil)
1 egg, beaten

METHOD

1) Preheat the oven to 170C & grease two baking trays.
2) Roast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until golden.
3) Put the porridge oats, sesame seeds, sugar and oil in a bowl. Mix together and leave for one hour.
4) Add the beaten egg and mix well.
5) Put small spoonfuls of the mixture onto the greased baking trays.
6) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
7) Leave to cool a little before moving to a cooling rack.

My mix made 17 biscuits. 117 kcal per biscuit, 8 g of fat.

FORGOT THE MARG!

 
Did you know that 'desserts' is 'stressed' spelt backwards? I found that out today. Which is appropriate because I forgot to put the marg into a batch of carrot buns - duh. I blame the three year old helper who continually distracts me and won't let me near the recipe or the bowl. Sigh.

On the plus side, they look OK but, I imagine, they will be a bit dry and crumbly. Luckily there are walnuts, sultanas and carrots in them, as well as milk and egg, so all may not be lost...

This is my first baking outing since last week's 'floor cake'. Yes, just as I was putting a fresh-from-the-oven cake onto the wire rack to cool, it fell onto the floor and smashed. I am not feeling the baking love. No, wait, I tell a lie. Sunday's Saint Patrick's Day buns turned out fine. Thank Patrick for that...

LURVE VEGAN CAFÉ

 
Well, I finally made it to Lurve Vegan Café on Mary Street in Dublin. It was a case of third time lucky for me, as they had a few teething problems with staffing, so twice before it was closed when I got there. I was delighted to find it open the third time - this place is such a welcome addition to the north inner city.

I got a friendly welcome from the two staff and it was more like visiting someone's house than a café. They had no pen on the day so I gave them a spare and then they wanted to give me my cake for free. I paid, though - they need all the custom they can get.

I had already eaten lunch so I just had their carrot cake and it was sweet, dense and spicy. Delicious. I will definitely be going back next time I am in Dublin for soup, hummus, sandwiches - whatever I can fit in. This time I will bring Mr Vegan so he can delight in having the pick of the menu (a rare treat for him!)

Prices are reasonable and the décor is cute. It was a cold day when I was there and the café felt cold too, but hopefully that will get sorted out.

Follow the lively Lurve Facebook page for all updates on opening times and menus.