Here is something I learned this winter:  My citrus trees (I have an orange tree that was a mothers day gift about 4 years ago and a lime tree that was a gift from my mother about 3 years ago) prefer a bit more winter cold than I thought they would.   For many years I was bringing them into my living room for the winter.  Every year, they complained (as loudly a citrus trees can complain) about the dryness and the scale that unrelentingly attacked them was just one big gross mess.   Needless to say, they have never thrived enough to actually set fruit.

But this year, I kept them in the much cooler 3 -seasons porch.  I knew they wouldn’t freeze solid, but I was concerned that I was taking my chances with killing them with a bit too much cold.  Caution was thrown to the wind.  Because I also had about a dozen other plants there (babysitting the neighbors houseplants) the room stayed very humid and the result is that for the first time, I have baby fruit.  I also didn’t have a stitch of scale.    Fingers crossed that the oranges and limes will be harvest-able before the end of the summer season — because I am making this beauty of a cake that I found via poppytalk even if I have to go to the grocery store to do it!

Appollina created it after being inspired by a Stella McCartney dress.  Don’t you just love the creative process and seeing where the ideas for beautiful things like this comes from!

Recipe: Citrus Cake with Lemon Curd Filling and Orange Lemon Icing (a.k.a. Stella Cake)