Lemon Syrup Cake

A bright, zesty Lemon Syrup Cake to help ease the quarantine blues ❤

Lemon Coconut Raspberry Cupcakes

We’re celebrating BIG with these Lemon Coconut Raspberry Cupcakes! Come, shake a leg! ❤

Mango Lemon Bars

In the final edition of the May Mango Mania series, I bring you Mango Lemon Bars! ❤

Lemon Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

A slice or two of this Lemon Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce, and your troubles will be long gone! Don’t believe me? Give it a try! 🙂

Lemon Cranberry Biscotti

Christmas came early to The Foodscape in the form of these Lemon Cranberry Biscotti! ❤

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Quick. Easy. Sublime. That’s what you get in this Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta! ❤

Lemon Cake

An Ode to my beautiful Mama with her favourite Lemon Cake on her birthday! ❤

Strawberry Mint Lemonade

What are some of my favourite things? Nope; not raindrops or roses (and certainly not kittens!). I revel in being lost in thought; long conversations with my mom while we’re seated on the kitchen floor enjoying our tea break; the warmth of hugs; talking about everything with the boyfriend while doing nothing; delighting in some ‘me-time’ while I cook and bake; writing both for myself and for you guys; and food. Lots of food.

Last afternoon, quite a few of my favourite things came to be. I spent a while talking to the boyfriend about everything under the sun. And when he lay down for a siesta, I found myself lost in thought. I reflected on the past week. It’s been quite rough. With four dental appointments, one impacted molar extraction, one root canal and three pending sittings between us, we’ve been neck deep in hospitals, needles, drills and suction tools. It has not been fun.

That led me – inevitably – to the kitchen. I looked  through the contents of my refrigerator and I decided to make Strawberry Mint Lemonade. This was my first attempt at making this refreshing summer quencher. And since I’ve never sipped on a Strawberry Lemonade before, I can’t say how close to the real thing it tastes. But what I can say is this – it tastes pretty darn fantastic! 😀

Here’s what you need:

• Fresh Strawberries – 10 or 12, roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• Sugar – 3 tbsp
• Water – 2 cups, chilled
• A couple cubes of Ice
• Mint leaves – a few for garnishing

And here’s how you make Strawberry Mint Lemonade 🙂

• In a large bowl, mush the strawberries with a potato/meat masher until they are reduced to a paste. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon and add in the sugar. Pour in the water and give the drink mixture a good mix.
• At this point, taste the blend. If you would like it sweeter or you prefer a stronger hit of strawberry or lemon, make some additions.
• Drop a couple of ice cubes in each tumbler. Pour the Strawberry Lemonade into the tumbler through a strainer.
• Top with a few muddled mint leaves, and sip away!

So when the boyfriend was up, I had a little surprise waiting for him in the balcony. Instead of our evening coffee ritual, we had a lovely impromptu Strawberry Mint Lemonade date! His first reaction to the drinks sitting in tall fluted glasses was, “Did you just make that?” (I LOVE surprising him!) He then took his first sip and let out a very refreshed ‘Ooohh’! 😛 (Phew!) And while he sat there, still a bit groggy eyed, enjoying his drink, I stole myself away for a few seconds to click these pictures for you guys to see!

Needless to say, this Strawberry Lemonade is invigorating. It is sweet and tangy and zesty and punchy, all at once. It will leave you feeling light, exhilarated and positively revitalized. It’s true, you can never go wrong with the perfect combination of strawberries, lemon and mint. C’est impossible! 😀

 

Tangy Raspberry Cake

As you can tell, I’ve been having a very berry summer! And I’m enjoying it to the fullest. While I’ve been mostly cooped up indoors – much to my dismay – due to the unbearable heat, my tummy has been one happy fellow, gorging on lots of berries, mangoes and pineapple. I think it’s safe to say that my obsession with fruits is being well-fuelled. 🙂

What makes me happier is that my passion for baking is flourishing, thanks to this berry mania! First I baked those Petit Fours that were just delish, then the Lemon-Blueberry cake that is out-of-the-world, the Mango-Strawberry tart that needs no description and now this fabulous Tangy Raspberry Cake that will blow your mind. The baker in me is very pleased.

Here’s what you need to make The Foodscape’s Tangy Raspberry Cake in your home.

• All Purpose Flour – 1 and 1/2 cups
• Sugar – 1 cup
• Salt – 1/2 tsp
• Baking Powder – 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Eggs – 2
• Vegetable Oil – 1/2 cup
• Juice of 1 Orange, freshly squeezed
• Rind of 1 Lemon, grated
• Fresh Raspberries – 200 g

Here’s how you make it:

• Preheat your oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.
• In a bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy, then add in the oil and orange juice and mix well.
• In another bowl, lightly sift together flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.
• Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and blend until it forms a smooth batter.
• Add in lemon rind and give it a final mix.
• Grease and line a loaf-tin with parchment paper. Pour in half of the batter, then place a few fresh raspberries on top and finish off with the remaining batter. Once all the batter is poured in, sprinkle a few more raspberries on the top and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

This is one of those cakes that everyone loves serving at breakfasts, brunches, tea parties and the like. It’s that perfect breath of fresh air from all those heavy chocolatey treats that your guests and family will love you for. It’s also the perfect cake to savour while you enjoy a cup of coffee. It’s that homely cake that puts you at ease, helps you relax and gives you the warm fuzzies!

It’s tangy, sweet and zesty and sweet some more. It is oozing with flavour, hearty and delicious. The citrus-y tartness from the orange juice and lemon rind are well complimented by the sharp flavour of the raspberries and the buttery sweetness of the cake. It’s truly a cake made in heaven!

This is the kind of cake I love baking – moist, airy and filled with the goodness of berries; the kind of cake that I eat a little too much of on my cheat day. Trust me, it’s that good! 😀