I’ve been on a diet for quite some time and at this stage have lost just on 15kg [ 33lb] and am feeling quite pleased with myself.

My diet is a rather special one involving lots of fruit, vegetables and salads but not too much by way of dairy, meat and carbohydrate.

Unfortunately I’ve also got into a very bad habit, during the course of this diet, of going without food or the entire day.

This tends to run counter to the principal behind this particular dieting methodology

I’d actually better get my act together and start dieting properly as I’ve now started light weight training again [many years ago I used to have a daily gym session including cardiovascular and weight training]

I’ve only got another 5kg [11lbs] to go before reaching my first goal which is when I decide whether I need to lose more weight

My wife says I won’t have to and that I’ll start looking gaunt if I do. I’m not so sure

As you may imagine I’m craving a really nice cake, but I’ll just have to soldier on without one

For the rest of you lucky mortals who don’t have weight problems, or choose to disregard them, here’s a great lemon flavored cake which is soaked with a lemon syrup

Ingredients

• 112g [4oz] soft margarine
• 170g [6oz] caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 170g [6oz] self-raising flour
• zest from 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp full cream milk
• 4 tbsp [60ml] icing sugar
• 3 tbsp [45ml] fresh lemon juice

To make the lemon cake

Preheat oven to 180^oC [350^oF

Grease a 1kg [2lb] loaf tin and line the bottom with parchment paper

Place the softened margarine and the caster sugar in a mixing bowl and cream together until light and fluffy

Lightly beat the eggs and add to the creamed margarine

Sift the flour into the mixture and add the lemon zest and milk

Mix well until you have a soft dropping consistency

Scrape into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top with a spatula

Bake for +/-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

To make the syrup sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the lemon juice, mixing well

Remove the cake from the oven and immediately pour over the syrup

Allow the lemon cake to cool down completely before removing from the tin

While the recipe is very easy to make this cake is absolutely delicious, my mouth was watering while typing the recipe

Enjoy your cake!