mini loaf cakes and a spot of millinery.

I often, of a lunch time, wander in and out of baking stores...mainly the steamer trading near my place of day work. I do indeed find it rather (cough*exceedingly*cough) over priced and invariably pick things up, carry them round the whole store with me, then pop them back down again muttering to myself and leave. then, every now and again, I have a fit of not caring about money and shoes and have a big old splurge. one such splurging occasion happened about a month ago, this being the same splurge in which I bought the overpriced tart rings (£4!!! for 4" rings! are you mad! thats a pound an inch! and now I only have two! obviously I need more than this. trapped, trapped in a cycle of ring buying...etc etc). amongst the other items bought in this splurge ( 4x dariole moulds and some miniature clothes pegs, oh and 4 mini-bowl things) I purchased 4 miniature loaf tins, so so so very cute, and have at last put them to good use. it was pointed out to me later in the day that I had bought a plethora of minature items, which whilst pleasing did not equate to a miniature total spendature. but hey ho I now have some very cute mini-baking items to coo over when I open the baking drawer. I am not someone who just dies! when they see little baby shoes, but mini baking items, oh yes, lovely! Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Lemon Yoghurt Anything Cake: Makes one large loaf tin cake or 13 mini loaf tin cakes. I first made a plain batter, leaving out any flavourings (lemon, vanilla) until I spilt the batter to make the mini versions. This cake is very moist, which I think really helps will the mini-ness as they stay lovely even though they are tiny small. I made three versions; Sour Cherry & Pecan, Almond & Rhubarb and Lemon Poppy Seed...but the possibilities are endless non? Ingredients for a plain batter which I split into three separate bowls: 1 1/2 cups plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup natural yoghurt 1 cup caster sugar 3 large eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil Method Preheat the oven to 160C and grease your mini-tins (I used melted butter and a pastry brush). Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in one bowl. In another whisk together the yoghurt, sugar, eggs and oil. Gradually add in the dry mix and whisk to a smooth batter. 1. For the Sour Cherry & Pecan I added 50g sour cherries and 25g chopped pecans. Once poured into the greased mini-tins I added a pecan streusel topping by roughly rubbing together the following, then chilling in the freezer and adding to the mini-cakes half way through baking: 1/4 cup plain flour 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans 28g cold butter, diced small 2. For the Almond and Rhubarb I added 1/2 tsp of almond extract to the batter (add more to taste but I found this plenty). I then filled the mini-tins 2/3rds full then popped in a layer of frozen sliced rhubarb and sprinkled over a teaspoon of sugar, then poured on another layer of batter to cover and finally topped with sliced almonds. 3. For the classic Lemon Poppy Seed I added 1-2 tbsp of poppy seeds (I love them so stuck loads in), 1 tbsp of lemon juice and the finely grated zest of 1 lemon. Once out of the oven I poked some holes in the top then poured over a syrup of lemon juice and icing sugar. Bake the cakes for about 20-30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean, the cake is moist so try not to overbake. Leave the cakes in the tins for about 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely on a rack; be careful when slicing as you could smoosh them. Yum!