When life gives you lemons, make this lemon tea loaf.

Lemons are a sneaky fruit.  Whenever I need a lemon there are never any to hand.  When I have no use for one, they seem to multiply uncontrollably in the fruit bowl.  This was the predicament I found myself in on the weekend.  Nana was well prepared for lemon fruit-bowl invasion.  There are lots of recipes in her books that I could have committed my lemons to.  However this one caught my eye.

Why? Walnuts.

Mum is a walnut snob (sorry for outing you like this Kaye).  There was a walnut tree on the farm that legend has it, produced ‘thheeeeee most delicious walnuts’.  Walnuts so delicious that you will probably never enjoy any other walnut again.  Exhibit A – Kaye.

This recipes comes from a little newspaper cut out which professes it to be “one of the best and freshest-tasting tea breads you will ever make.” And taste? Read on!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
125g butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
Grated rind 1 lemon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Topping
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup sugar

Do this
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Rub in butter using fingertips. Mix beaten eggs and milk, stir into flour mixture, then fold in lemon rind and walnuts.

Pour into a greased and base-lined 21x15cm loaf tin (ours was a little smaller).

Bake in a moderate oven (180C) for 1 1/4 hours or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Mine took about 50 minutes so keep an eye on it.

For the topping:
Mix lemon juice and the sugar together. When cake is cooked and still hot, drizzle over the top. Allow to cool in tin.

Everyone really enjoyed this cake. As advertised it was lovely and fresh. It was also lovely and light and zesty. I’ll be ready for you next time lemons!