mother's group lemon cake

I got this treasured recipe way back in 2001 from my mother's group friend Cathryn. So although my friends now call it Susie's Lemon Cake it reminds me of the days I first started making it, my early days of motherhood and my Mother's Group.

My copy of the recipe still exists in a printout of the email Cathryn sent me back in June 2001. At the time I was juggling newborn twins and a three year old. They were fantastic, amazing, difficult times!

The message always makes me smile, it reads:

Dear Susie,

Where once there were dance parties now there are Tupperware parties, and you know you are really on the slippery slope of motherhood and approaching middle age she you start swapping cake recipes... But perhaps the saddest thing of all is enjoying the descent!
 
love Cathryn

I had such a fantastic mother's group. It was one of the things that kept me sane and with a sense of humour through those crazy times of having three kids in three years.

Fifteen years later I'm still close friends with some of the women from the group. I had afternoon tea with Michelle last week, one of my mother's group friends who I met initially at Prenatal classes!

My only advice to new mothers (really, unless they ask) is always to join a mother's group. I say it because I almost missed out on mine. I didn't think it would be my thing. I went to my first meeting reluctantly but came away a convert.

In my Mother's Group I found unconditional support and the sort of information you never find in books. We learnt about parenting together, taking turns in sleep hell and slowly workshopping our way through breastfeeding, bathing, toilet training, discipline, toddler food and play. Most of all we laughed and cried together through the good and bad times.

But back to the lemon cake recipe, a real favourite in this house... Cathryn's version was in imperial measures but I've also shown the metric equivalents I bake with.

Mother's Group Lemon Cake

4 oz (110g) butter
4oz (110g) self raising flour
40z (110g)caster sugar
2 eggs
1 oz (30g) ground almonds
1 Tbsp lemon curd
zest of a lemon

Topping
1 oz (30g) caster sugar
juice of half a lemon.

Grease 20cm springform cake tin and line base with baking paper.  Preheat oven to 160C.
Blend butter and sugar and then beat in eggs and all other ingredients.
Put batter in tin and put cake in oven.
Cook 10 minutes at 160 C (320F), then 30 mins at 150C (300) (I do 35 mins)
Turn off heat and leave in oven for 5 minutes
Mix topping and pour over top of cake whilst cake is still hot. (Don't miss the topping, it makes the cake.)
Bake, eat, enjoy.

I'm adding this recipe to my new Cooking & Recipes page where you can find all the recipes I've shared over the years in one place. Both my own recipes and some I've enjoyed cooking of other people's.

p.s. The cake colours go well with my new Belinda Marshall print, don't you think?!
p.p.s. The blog tour for Carina's new embroidery book Sitched Blooms starts today. I'm last stop next week but will be watching along all the beautiful spots along the way.