I’m reaching new levels of sad. I’m choosing paint colours based on lithology. I’m down to basalt or obsidian. I’m not sure when I became so very uncool. Luckily they’re deadly colours regardless of names.

I was also toying with the idea of getting two pygmy goats. I thought two girl goats. Figured boy goats would be too boisterous. Turns out female goats in heat are remarkably loud and heat happens every month. Nice. I may not like half of our neighbours but girl goats might be cutting of my nose to spite my small holding.

Fertile goats and rocks aside I made lemon drizzle cake. This is the proper, several layers of lemoniness lemon drizzle cake not just sponge with lemon icing. I stole the recipe from BBC GoodFood. As is always the case I was impatient and didn’t read the recipe in its entirety and so that’s where the adaptations come in.

This is one of those lovely recipes that requires very little effort and you can give up at any stage. Without the swirl it’ll be fine. Without the drizzle it’ll also be fine. You’ll just have sponge but it’ll be nice sponge.

Oven temperature 180 Celsius

Cake bit;

Butter                                              200g

Caster sugar                                   200g

Maize meal/ fine polenta             100g

Self raising flour                            140g

Lemon zest                                     3 lemonfuls

Eggs                                                  4

Lemon curd                                    4 tablespoons

Drizzle;

Juice of a lemon and 4 tablespoons of caster sugar

Preheat the oven and line a rectangular tin (20 x 30cm) with baking parchment.

Put all of the cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat till smooth.

Use soft butter like the BBC food people said. I thought cutting ice-cold butter into smallish pieces was kind of the same thing. Not really as it happens. My lumpy batter worked fine so worry not if yours goes that way.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and dollop on the lemon curd.

Use the end of a spoon or the like to swirl the curd through the batter. Look at the photo.

Pop it into the preheated oven and bake for 35mins. Turn after about 25mins to make sure things are cooking evenly.

When it’s baked it’ll be lovely and golden brown and springy to the touch.

Remove it from the oven and let it cool in the tin for a few minutes whilst you whip up the drizzle.

To do so put the lemon juice and sugar into a little saucepan. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved completely.

Now go ahead and drizzle. Pour it evenly over the top of the cake (which should still be in the tin).

That’s you done. My husband says it’s very nice with tea. He said that was his contribution to this week’s blog.