Old-Fashioned Lemon Cake

From the Publisher

The recipes in this volume in The Essential Kitchen Series encourage the use of Fruit at its seasonal peak when it is at its best -ripe, plump, fragrant, and good for you. From tasty tarts to sublime salads, there's a wide selection of tempting recipes in Fruit for everybody.

Book Description

What kind of recipes would you expect to find in a cookbook titled Fruit? Lots of desserts? Jams? That's what I thought, but I was pleasantly surprised to find stylish dishes that invite fruit to star in every course of the meal. Suzie Smith's book offers savory dishes, salads and side dishes in addition to the expected confections and preserves.

Smith's background in food styling is evident in the full-page glossy photos of the dishes. The still lifes are so fabulous, one doesn't know whether to eat them or frame them.

Versatile recipes from Fruit include poached Plums with Bavarian Cream and Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread. Serve them as dessert or sweet breakfast treats that pack the day's first meal with vitamins.

Metric equivalents are listed with the ingredients also. Recipes call for Caster (superfine) sugar but most cooks will be satisfied with the substitution of granulated sugar. Tree-ripened fruit at its seasonal peak is recommended for ices, marinades, drinks and most recipes. However, when fresh fruit is unavailable, there are reliable recipes that call for dried fruit: such as a chocolate dried fruit cake, compote and an apricot jam.

Find the unexpected in Fruit. In it, chicken is stuffed with prunes; green papaya meets butternut squash in a salad; and whiskey spikes oranges. This is a cookbook that tempts the imagination as well as the taste buds.

Review by Diana's Desserts:

This is a book all of us should have in our cookbook libray for it's usefulness for all seasons of the year. Even if some of the fresh fruits in the recipes are not in season at a particular time of the year, the author gives us alternative recipes which use dried fruit, or try her Warm Banana Cake with Caramel Bananas (a fruit that can be purchased anytime of the year).

Usually when I think of making a dessert, I usually think of fresh fruit, and this lovely and beautifully photographed book gives us so many choices for all kinds of fruits that can be used to make quick and easy desserts, all so very tasty and beautiful. Also there are great little recipes for savory dishes alike. You will love this book and I suggest keeping a copy on your kitchen counter, and grab it when you're looking for a delicious and delectable dish for your family or when you are having guests over.

I am including a recipe from "Fruit", a wonderful Old Fashioned Lemon Cake that can be made for a special occasion, or for an every day dessert.