Carrot and Orange Cake

200g Plain Flour 200g caster sugar

1 tsp bicarb of soda 1 large orange

1 tsp baking powder 2 eggs

1 tsp cinnamon 200ml vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt 125g grated carrots

2 x 200g packs cream cheese 50g icing sugar

1. Pre heat oven to gas mark 6. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin. Sift together the flour, bicarb of soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. Add sugar and mix well.

2. Remove the rind and pith from the orange. Process orange flesh in a processor until it forms a pulp. Beat together with the eggs and oil. Add the dry ingredients and grated carrot. Mix well and pour into tin. Bake for 30 minutes until golden. Cool in tin.

3. Grate half the orange rind and beat together with the cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth. Turn out cake and cover with the icing.

Enjoy xxx

Lemon Posset

This is for Helen! This is a super easy dessert that I think is a Gary Rhodes recipe. My mum used to make it at The Cherry Tree and now my brother uses it in his pubs.

Serves 6
900ml Double Cream
250g Caster Sugar
Juice of 3 lemons

Boil the cream and sugar gently together in a pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and mix in well. Leave to cool slightly then pour into six glasses & leave to set in the fridge. Serve with pouring or whipped cream.

Let me know if you have a go and what you think!

Bakewell Tart

375g pack chilled dessert shortcrust pastry

5 tbsp jam of your choice (I love raspberry!)

100g butter

125g caster sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp almond extract

150g ground almonds

75g icing sugar

1. Roll out the pastry and line a 30 x 20cm rectangular, or 23cm square, loose bottomed fluted flan tin. Place in fridge for 30 mins.

2. Preheat oven to 190c. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 mins, lift out paper and beans and cook for a further 5 mins until the pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool slightly then spread the jam over the base of the pastry.

3. Place the butter and sugar in a medium sized bowl and beat with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time. Add the almond extract and fold in the ground almonds. Pour this mixture over the jam and level it out with a spatula.

4. Bake the tart on the middle shelf of the oven for 25-30mins, until cooked and golden. Allow to cool slightly, then remove from tin. Mix the icing sugar with 1 tbsp cold water. Drizzle the icing over the top of the tart using a tsp (as you can see from the picture, I used more icing than recommended and covered the top with icing). Cut into 12 rectangles.