Known as The Cake Lady when a mature student at Norwich University of the Arts, Carol Kearns of Wymondham combines a love of baking with a talent for illustration. Words and illustrations: Carol Kearns
Have you ever seen a recipe and thought “I’d love to bake that” only to find that it needs a cake tin in a size that you don’t have? Wouldn’t it be wonder if, instead, you had access to lots of delicious recipes that all just needed the same size tin?
This question occurred to me and so I decided to develop a range of recipes that all tasted wonderful, were quick and easy to make – and were all baked in a 2lb loaf tin. I made these tried and trusted recipes to raise funds for the End of Degree Show when studying illustration at Norwich University of the Arts. Turning up with my cakes every Wednesday I was greeted with the delighted cry of “It’s The Cake Lady!”
A friend commented recently that loaf cakes are easier to make – and she’s right! They are also simple to slice and store, a piece fits neatly into a lunch box and a slice looks a picture served up for afternoon tea. So grab a loaf tin and start baking!
Lemon drizzle cake
Ingredients
175g self-rising flour
1 tsp baking powder
150g caster sugar
Finely grated rind of one large or one-and-a-half smaller lemons
125g soft butter or baking margarine
2 medium eggs
1 tsp lemon extract
2 tbsp milk
For the topping
Juice of one large or one-and-a-half smaller lemons
75g granulated sugar
You will need
A 2lb/900g loaf tin
Non-stick liner or butter and greaseproof paper
A cocktail stick
Makes 8-10 slices
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark four.
2 Lightly grease and line the loaf tin, or pop in a liner.
3 Measure all the cake ingredients into the bowl, sifting the flour and baking powder in together.
4 Beat the mixture with an electric hand mixer for two minutes.
5 Turn the mixture into the tin and level the surface.
6 Bake for about 50 minutes until the cake is well risen and springs back when the surface is lightly pressed with a finger.
7 While the cake is baking, mix the topping ingredients together.
8 As soon as the cake is taken out of the oven, deeply prick the top all over with the cocktail stick and spoon the topping evenly over it.
9 Leave the cake to cool in the tin.
www.carolkearns.co.uk.
