A good old fashioned cake bake - YUM.

It's looming again - Monday morning is on it's way and that sinking Sunday slouch feeling is peeking round the door ready to bowl me over with the realisation that another week has snuck by without so as much as a by your leave... so there's only one thing for it - turn to food or maybe I should be more specific: CAKE.

Having been obsessed for a while with Yotam Ottolenghi (after following his guardian recipes in the colour supplement every week http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/series/thenewvegetarian) and perhaps because rather too conveniently one of their little cafe's being based close by (well a bus ride down the road to Kensington http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/locations/) from our little Mayfair boutique home my thoughts instantly spring from cake to Yotam - and it seems i'm not alone...

http://www.fannyloveslondon.com/2010/03/04/ottolenghi/

http://www.fannyloveslondon.com/2010/03/04/ottolenghi/

http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s/2009/02/yotam-ottolenghi-profile

And if like me you're feeling like donning an apron and having a go so as to at least be able to claim a little sense of achievement when filling your face - http://www.donutstodelirium.com/ is there to lend a helping hand (figuratively speaking anyway) as a fellow fan there's an ace recipe for the apple and olive oil with maple cream cheese frosting posted on her blog http://www.donutstodelirium.com/2010/04/ottolenghi-apple-and-olive-oil-cake-with-maple-cream-cheese-frosting/

So happy baking and here's to expanding horizons (an waistline's but hey life's too short...)

Though it's nice to know that they're also not immune to or able to rise above the wonders of their own offerings either if it helps.... http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/blog/2011/10/17/cake-geeks/

http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/