I’ve had several requests for more pictures of my trip to Nicaragua. We certainly took a good amount of them (close to 1,000!) so, I made this short video of all our photos strung together. I think it’s pretty cool – I hope you enjoy it!

[photo credit: pbase]

Bacon sandwiches remind me of my best friend, Rachel. I’d stay at Rachel’s house when we’d go out “into town” at the weekends. There is a certain kind of friend who will let you share her bed – or make you up your own – at two in the morning after one too many glasses of white wine on the (sticky) dance floor.

Rachel would often make us bacon sarnies, along with a cup of tea to help in the recovery process after a spectacularly debauched night on the town (she also made a mean full English but that’s another story). She’d bring them upstairs to her room and we’d munch on them while watching Saturday morning T.V. and laughing hysterically about the night before.

It’s crispy, proper English bacon, soft, fluffy, buttered white bread, and a generous spread of tomato ketchup or brown sauce. It’s completely perfect and it transports me home every time I think about it.

What does home taste like to you?

Otherwise known as really lemony lemon cake, since that is the most accurate and ridiculous way to describe it, non?

There’s been some serious lemon love going on my kitchen lately. First the lemon poppy seed muffins and now this. I’m okay with it. I might actually make some lemon buttermilk cookies this weekend with the gallons of buttermilk I seem to have in my fridge.

So, cake.

I’m not going to lie about it, I thought this cake was really tasty. I think you should go and buy a mini army of lemons and get baking.

If you follow this recipe you’ll end up with two cakes or loaves and a lot of happy friends. Make one for yourself and one for that hot boy you like. You know, the one you’ve been secretly eyeing? Yeah him. Make him lemon cake and he is all yours. You’re welcome.

Lemon-Drenched Lemon Cake

adapted from Dorie Greenspan via Joy the Baker

This recipe makes two cakes, to be baked in loaf pans. After reading the comments on Joy’s original post I wouldn’t try using anything other than loaf pans…they worked wonderfully for me.

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2-1/3 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla
• 6 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• zest of 2 lemons, finely grated
• 1 stick, plus 7 tbsp unsalted butter (15 tbsp total), melted and cooled

Syrup:

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• juice of two lemons

Directions

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9×5-inch loaf pans, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Even if the pans are nonstick, it’s a good idea to butter and flour them.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Put the sugar and the lemon zest in a large bowl, working with your fingers, rub them together until the sugar is moist and thoroughly imbued with the fragrance of lemon.
4. Add the eggs and whisk them into the sugar, beating until they are thoroughly incorporated. Whisk in the extract, then whisk in the cream. Continuing with the whisk, or switching to a large rubber spatula, gently stir in the dry ingredients in 3 or 4 additions; the batter will be smooth and thick. Finish by folding in the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions. Pour the batter into the pans, smoothing with a rubber spatula.
5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. As soon as the cake goes into the oven, make the syrup. After about 30 minutes in the oven, check the cakes for color- if they are browning too quickly, cover them lightly with foil tents.
6. Stir the water and sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar melts, then bring to a boil. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and let cool.
7. When the cakes test done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before unmolding them and turning them right side up on the rack. Place the rack over a baking sheet lined with wax paper and, using a thin skewer, cake tester or thin-bladed sharp knife, poke holes all over the cakes. Brush the cakes all over with the syrup, working slowly so that the cakes sop it up. Leave the cakes on the rack to cool to room temperature.