I bought the lemons on Monday and spent three days waiting for a reason to use them. By Thursday I decided an ordinary afternoon was reason enough.
The cake is simple: butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and more lemon zest than the recipe suggests. The batter looked uneven, so I trusted it.
It came out golden at the edges and soft in the middle. I ate a slice while it was still warm, standing at the counter like a person in a cooking programme.
We are allowed to make the nice thing before guests arrive. Sometimes the nice thing is just for us.