Cake for Summer (sort of)

British summer is rarely a season full of blazing hot sunshine, but that doesn't mean you can't have moment of pretence. Brighten up your kitchen with this summer inspired cake - a lemon, blueberry yoghurt cake to be precise.

The ingredients burst with juicy flavour and the yoghurt makes the cake creamier than using butter. It becomes a softer, almost spongy texture like baked brioche.

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups or 6oz self raising flour

1 1/4 cups or 6oz caster sugar

1 heaped tsp of baking powder

A handful of ground almonds (not essential, leave out if you have nut allergies)

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup or 6 tablespoons of greek yoghurt

Juice of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon of sunflower oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2oz or 2 big handfuls of blueberries

For the glaze

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Zest of 1/2 a lemon

1 tablespoon of caster sugar

How To Make:

Pre-heat oven to 160 for a fan assisted oven and 180 for normal. Grease a loaf tin and dust with flour to avoid sticking. If you have an older loaf tin which tends to stick, use parchment/greaseproof paper to line the tin with.

Put the self-raising flour, sugar, baking powder, ground almonds and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and yoghurt and beat the mixture until you get a smooth, thick consistency.

Add the sunflower oil, lemon juice and zest, vanilla extract one at a time stirring in between.

Finally gently stir in the blueberries - keep them in tact so they can burst within the cake in the oven!

Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and pop in the oven for 40 mins (checking half way that it's not burning). Put some foil over the top for a further 8 mins or so on a slightly lower heat.

In this time make the glaze by heating the 1/2 lemon juice with the tablespoon of caster sugar in a pan until it goes clear and then take it off the heat.

When the cake has done it's final 8 mins remove from the oven and leave to cool on a rack for 10 mins. While it's cooling add the lemon glaze to the top of the cake with a pastry brush.

As a final touch dust with icing sugar and sprinkle some of the leftover lemon zest over the top for a zing of yellow among the little explosions of purple.

N.B. There are variations on recipes for yoghurt cakes as they work really well with other citrus fruit and berries. Try mixing things up and replacing the lemon with lime or orange and the blueberries with blackberries, raspberries or strawberries. I plan to give the sublime looking lime and blackberry recipe by Smitten Kitchen a go!