Every year-end Aunty Julie makes lemon curd, and she distributes it into country-kitchen-style jars to be given away as gifts. It has become one of my favourite Christmas treats. It was only last year that I learnt that she makes a limited number of jars, as the process is laborious and the ingredients are expensive. I realised what a precious gift it was.
Miranda, Carmen, and I went to visit Aunty Julie late last year for inspiration and advice when we were starting an outreach project to visit housebound seniors, to engage them in art and craft activities. Aunty Julie was happy to show us her art and craft products, and she mentioned that she also gives cooking and baking classes. Miranda and Carmen were keen to visit her again to learn how to bake. Aunty Julie was delighted.
When we went on our second visit, Aunty Julie had some left-over lemon juice (which if I remember correctly, was from making lemon curd). Aunty Julie said she wanted to show us how to make the “easiest cake ever” – lemon cake! According to Aunty Julie, it’s easy because there are no steps to follow, just throw all the ingredients together, mix them in a mixer and bake.
When Miranda found out that Aunty Julie has her own baking book, she shyly asked Aunty Julie if she is a celebrity chef, which made Aunty Julie laugh. She said something like: “No, I just love to bake.” (She has a good following based on the many orders from friends.) She then proceeded to make the lemon cake. She wasn’t joking when she said it was easy. She was done mixing the ingredients in a few minutes . The baking took more time. What made the cake lemony happened after the cake was baked. Lemon juice and sugar had to be cooked into a syrup for drizzling over the cake. Needless to say, the cake was delicious.
The recipe:
100g butter
175g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
175g sugar
3 eggs
4 tbs milk
grated lemon rind (1 lemon)
Method:
Mix the above ingredients together in a mixer
Bake at 350 degrees fehrenheit for 50 -55 minutes
Cook lemon juice (from 1 lemon) with 3 ounces of sugar to make a lemon syrup
Drizzle the lemon syrup over the cake once it’s baked
Miranda, Carmen and I have had a lot of fun with our outreach project. So far, we have done lantern-making (with help from Brenda, another friend), fingernail art, coaster art and plastic bottle art with the seniors we have visited. Our joy has been to bring some fun and beauty to the homes we have visited. It will take us a while to get to Aunty Julie’s level of art and craft, especially her sewing craft, but at least we have made a start.
With the school holidays coming to an end, there is still time to bake a simple cake to celebrate the end of the holidays.
By Chayo, HomSkil Editor 1, 20 March 2025
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