I have to admit that as much as I LOVE being in my kitchen, I’m not much of a baker! I love throwing things together and concocting, but baking ? No! Here one has to get serious and follow rules and sometimes I do just that!

Naturally, along with the rest of the baking world I have made Lemon Drizzle cake, but the other day I came across an idea, and that point it was just an idea. I saw a recipe which used rhubarb and orange as a drizzle cake. The recipe, included buttermilk ( none in my kitchen), semolina ( again that was a no), self raising flour ( and again, that was also a no) but having trained as a Home Economist along with being qualified to teach science, I understand how all of the above can be adapted. Which I did.

So I have been experimenting with drizzle cake, and with all types of variations. The bottom line is that they are all yummy and all moist and all can be cut/ sliced, wrapped and frozen for ( in my case, Himself for his clandestine dessert after I have gone to bed).

I therefore have made, the Bog Standard Lemon Drizzle cake, a Rhubarb and Orange, a Raspberry and red fruit drizzle, and a Lemon Drizzle using Limoncello as the drizzle. As I usually make my own Limoncello it is always on hand.

The basic recipe for drizzle cake is pretty basic and I would say pretty foolproof. I tend to make mine in some form of loaf pan, easier to slice and freeze, the slices all flat.

To make a cake which will give you at least 10 slices you will need:-

• 175 grams softened unsalted butter
• 150 grams caster sugar
• 150 grams plain flour plus 2 level teaspoons of baking powder ( or just use self raising flour )
• 80 grams finely ground almonds
• 60 mls milk with 3 beaten eggs
• Zest of an orange,

Set the oven temperature to 170 C for a Fan Oven. I always use a food processor when making cakes, so very easy and reduces washing up !Put the dry ingredients into your Food Processor, give it a quick whizz, add the butter, another whizz and then with the engine running pour in the egg and milk mixture, and beat for a couple of minutes scraping down the sides once.

Lightly grease a loaf pan and roughly line with grease- proof paper, also lightly grease this. I use a spray grease, which I buy from Amazon.

Spoon in half of the mixture and spread it out, onto this put some fruit, rhubarb ( only the fresh very pink new season rhubarb) raspberries/ blueberries/ blackberries/ strawberries/ plums etc. Spoon in the rest of the mixture and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully tip out onto a cooling rack. This will be Top Side down, so carefully using a second tray, tip it over.

Whilst the cake is cooking, make a syrup with 100 grams sugar and 100 mls water. According to what kind of cake you are making, add rhubarb, raspberries etc to the water and sugar. When fruit is cooked and the syrup is a bit sticky, drain though a sieve and after having pricked you cake, pou the syrup whilst the cake is still warm.

Other ingredients which can be added, are red fruit juices or syrups, orange juice, limoncello, cherry liqueur cherry brandy and there is even a banana liqueur, so why not make a different version of banana cake! The possibilities are endless! As Himself really does like cake, I will have to experiment even further.

I found this book the other week and it is full of absolutely lovely cake recipes. It starts off with Gateau au Yaourt stating that Every child in France learns in infant school how to make this cake! But she also has 52 versions of what she calls a pound cake, a plain cake in principle but why not add Calvados or Grapefruit drizzle ? Why not indeed !