(6oz) golden caster sugar
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
1 tsp caraway seeds, lightly crushed
55g (2oz) low-fat heart-healthy spread, melted
icing sugar, for sprinkling
1 fresh mint sprig, to decorate
For the filling
200g (7oz) low-fat, cream cheese
juice of ½ lemon
275g (10oz) lemon curd
6 fresh lemon-mint or mint leaves
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
2 Line a 27 x 40cm (11¼ x 16in) Swiss roll tin with non-stick baking parchment.
3 Using a free-standing electric mixer, whisk the eggs and caster sugar together until the mixture is very light and fluffy and almost doubled in volume. This will take about 5 minutes, so be patient with it!
4 Now, using either a spatula or a large metal spoon, fold in the flour, grated lemon zest, crushed caraway seeds, and melted low-fat spread. Do not overmix.
5 Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake, checking it after 12 minutes. You don’t want too much colour on the sponge, so keep a close eye on it for a maximum of 16 minutes until it is light and springy to the touch. As soon as you can see that the sponge is cooked in the middle but not browning around the edges, remove from the oven and turn the sponge out onto a sheet of non-stick greaseproof paper sprinkled with a little icing sugar.
6 Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a sheet of non-stick baking parchment sprinkled with some icing sugar, and using the baking parchment, carefully roll up into a Swiss roll. Allow to cool.
7 To make the filling, mix the cheese, lemon juice and lemon curd together in a bowl.
8 Now, very finely slice the lemon-mint or mint leaves and mix these into the lemon curd mixture.
9 Only when the sponge has completely cooled, carefully unroll and spread the inside of the sponge with the lemon and mint cream. Now, re-roll the cake using the baking parchment to help keep it all together. Place on a serving dish, dust with a little icing sugar and top with the mint sprig.
TIP
Use a pestle and mortar to crush the caraway seeds.
Courgette Loaf
These sweet loaves make a perfect mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. The bulk of the courgettes keep the calories lower, and with no butter added, a modest slice of this is a lovely healthy treat.
MAKES 2 LOAVES
EACH SERVING 10
low-fat spread, for greasing
3 medium eggs
240ml (8½fl oz) light olive oil
480g (17oz) caster sugar
720g (1lb 9oz) plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder, sifted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
480g (17oz) courgettes, coarsely grated
2 tsp vanilla extract
50g (1¾ oz) chopped walnuts
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
2 Grease 2 x 900g (2lb) loaf tins with low-fat spread and line the bases with baking parchment.
3 Using a hand whisk, mix the eggs and olive oil together in a large bowl.
4 Next, add the caster sugar and whisk for a further 3 minutes.
5 Now, fold in the sifted flour, baking powder and cinnamon with a large metal spoon, then add the grated courgettes, vanilla extract and chopped walnuts and mix well.
6 Pour the cake mixture evenly between the prepared loaf tins and bake for 1 hour or until risen and golden. Serve warm or cold with a lovely cup of tea!
Butter-free Fudge Cake
In this recipe I have used homemade apple sauce instead of butter, making it a half-fat version compared to a usual fudge cake. This cake is lovely served just as it is, but if you want to cover the top with a chocolate frosting, take a look at the frosting recipes.
SERVES 9
light cooking spray, for coating
85g (3oz) wholemeal plain flour
25g (1oz) oatbran
30g (1oz) cocoa powder
100g (3½oz) dark brown sugar
100g (3½oz) caster sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
175g (6oz) homemade apple sauce
3 tbsp vegetable oil or light olive oil
2 tbsp strong black coffee
1 egg white, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.
2 Spray a 20cm (8in) square cake tin with light cooking spray and line the base with non-stick baking parchment.
3 Place the flour, oatbran, cocoa, both sugars and the bicarbonate of soda in a medium-sized bowl and stir to mix well.
4 Now, combine the apple sauce, oil, coffee, beaten egg white and vanilla extract and stir to mix. Add the apple sauce mixture to the flour mixture and combine well.
5 Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 25 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched and a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
TIP
This cake is delicious served with a squirt of Raspberry Coulis.
Almond & Hazelnut Gateau
I love making this nutty, butter-free gateau. It’s incredibly light and works fabulously with a thick layer of fat-free
