Lightest Lemon Cakes

Sorry for the delay in posting this recipe.

If you saved the lemon peel & flesh from the last recipe, I hope you put it in the fridge or freezer, because you'll need it now:

The Lightest Lemon Cakes

Cakes can be made two ways. One uses eggs, the other magic (well, not magic exactly, but science, which is really the same thing.)

These cakes are made using the magical (erm... I mean, scientific!) method. Welcome to the chemistry of cooking:

In a food processor or blender, mix the following ingredients:

the rind and flesh of 1 lemon (juice removed)

200ml soya milk

In a bowl, mix the following dry ingredients:

6oz self-raising flour

3-4oz sugar (adjust this according to the size of your lemon – more for a big lemon, less for a small one.)

I tsp baking powder

2 tsp powdered egg replacement*

Pre-heat your oven to 200°C and grease a patty/cupcake tin (you'll be making about 18 cakes so make sure you grease enough compartments)

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet mixture, stirring all the time until you have a uniform mixture.

Drop spoonfuls of your cake mixture in the greased tin (don't overfill them!) and bake for 15-20 minutes, until they start to go golden.

They will slide easily out of the tin, but let them cool a little before eating!

*Powdered egg replacement is made with potato flour, tapioca flour and a few other things. It helps cakes etc rise, but if you don't have any, you can leave it out. Your lemon cakes will be fine.

Options: Lemon Fairies: when the cakes are cool, cut the tops off and cut lids in half. Put a dollop of whipped soya cream in the top and place the two halves in the top like wings.

Sweeter cakes: Add a bit more sugar or dust with icing sugar if you want sweeter cakes. Personally, I like my lemon cakes with jam and sweet soya cream, but I'm slutty like that!

Now, pay attention, this is the Science Bit:

I'm no scientist, but this is how I understand this works: the lemon juice (acid) and baking powder (alkaline) react with each other to form tiny Carbon Dioxide bubbles (these are harmless – they're the same substance you find in carbonated drinks to make it fizz.)

These bubble start pushing at the mixture as you are stirring (you can see the mixture move a little if you stop stirring.)

Add heat and the bubbles expand, pushing the mixture up and forming a light texture.

Et voila! Light fluffy cakes sans eggs!