Orange and lemon tea-bread

This is the perfect cake to have hanging around on the weekend. Sharp and zesty with little slivers of fruity icing, it’s perfect with coffee in the morning or to have as part of a fancy afternoon tea.

It uses much less butter than in a typical cake recipe which gives it a sturdier texture… and makes you feel less guilty when you go back for a second (or third) slice!

Makes 1 loaf:

2 cups plain four

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup melted unsalted butter

Zest of 2 lemons

Zest of 2 oranges

2 beaten eggs

For the glaze:

Juice of half an orange

1 cup sifted icing sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius and grease a loaf tin (8×4 inch or 9×5 inch) with butter.
2. In a medium bowl, sift in the flour and baking powder and tip in the sugar and salt.
3. In a large bowl, combine the milk, orange juice, melted butter, zest and eggs and stir. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and stir so that all the ingredients are just combined.
4. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 50 minutes until the loaf springs back when poked.
5. Carefully loosen the sides and tip out from the dish. Leave to rest on a cooling rack until completely cool.
6. Combine 1 tbsp of orange juice with 1 cup icing sugar in a bowl and mix until smooth and runny.
7. Load a tablespoon with the icing and slowly drizzle over the top of the cake.

Bagels with salmon and cream cheese

These are super easy and fun to make! I left mine plain but you can sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds on top for added flavour. They’re perfect for a laid-back lunch or brunch.

Makes 10 bagels:

450g strong white bread flour, sifted

2 tsp salt

4 tbsp sugar

7g dried yeast

300ml warm water

To serve:

240g smoked salmon

200g cream cheese

1 lemon

1. In a large bowl, mix the yeast with 1tbsp sugar and 100ml of the warm water. Leave this for 10 minutes until bubbles appear on top and it becomes frothy.
2. Pour the remaining 200ml of water into the bowl, stir in the salt and 225g of the flour. Keep adding the remaining flour, mixing with your hand as you go along. When you have a soft dough that isn’t sticky, you can stop adding any leftover flour.
3. Knead for 10 minutes until the dough feels elastic and smooth. Shape this into a ball and leave in a clean, oiled bowl for 1 hour – covered loosely with cling film. If you can, try to find somewhere warm where it can rise until it’s doubled in size.
4. Heat your oven to 200C/gas 7 and bring a large, wide pan of water to boil with the remaining sugar added to it.
5. Lightly flour your worktop and divide the dough into 10 little flatish balls – they each should weigh around 80g. Take a wooden spoon and use the handle to make a hole in the middle of each one, twirling the bagel around the spoon to make a hole about 3cm wide.
6. Lay the bagels on a lightly oiled tray and cover loosely with cling film while you finish shaping the remaining dough.
7. Slip the bagels, three or four at a time, into the boiling water. Cook for 1-2 minutes, turning them over in the water until they’ve puffed up and a skin has formed.
8. Remove with a fish slice or a slotted spoon and drain away any excess water.
9. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment and add any toppings you’d like to use.
10. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. The bases should sound hollow when tapped.
11. Leave to cool on a wire rack and serve with the salmon, lemon and cream cheese.