Recipe published with permission. Photo courtesy of Cake, I Love You.

One of SRQ Magazine's February 2018 Featured Cookbooks: Cake, I Love You, by Jill O’Connor is a love letter to a classic indulgence offering 60 divinely decadent recipes home bakers will want to make right away. Organized by flavor profile (banana, coconut, chocolate, caramel, spice, fruit) and level of difficulty, each chapter in this cookbook from baking master Jill O'Connor presents a wide range of sweet choices. With photos that will make readers want to reach out and swipe their fingers through the frosting, Cake, I Love You offers foolproof baking advice for beginners and master mixers alike.

Luscious Lemon Loaf: lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon oil combine to give this simple cake real zing. Don’t be tempted to skip the lemon oil, as it adds a wonderful fragrance and intense lemon flavor that lemon extract can’t match.  Cold pressed from the zest of oranges, limes, or lemons, citrus oils are concentrated and fragile. They must be refrigerated once the bottle is open, but even then they don’t last forever.

Bread Recipe: Serves 6-8

1-1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar

2 large lemons

½ cup (120g) sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

1-1/4 teaspoon lemon oil

1-1/2 cups (245 g) all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ cup (110g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

¼ cup (60 ml) canola oil

3 eggs, room temperature

Icing Recipe:

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon lemon oil

½ to 2 cups (180g to 240g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Recipe published with permission. Photo courtesy of Cake, I Love You.