Fantasy Lemon Cake

Lemons are great because of their nutritious value and antioxidant advantage that resides in their high content of vitamin C.

Growing up, I was always fascinated by the lime tree at my grandma’s with its small white flowers and the aromatic citrusy smell that came from it.

The first person that introduced me to this citrusy dream was Dana, my best friend and partner in this blog. I was desperately trying to reach her that day and she wasn’t picking up. She was drowned in that fantasy !

The way she sounded describing that Lemon Cake made me crave to try it myself. Next thing you know, I went grocery shopping for some vibrant perfect skin juicy lemons.
If you’re into citrusy flavors, like I am, this is the treat for you. The sensational smell, the rich flavor and the soft texture will blow you away. Some people accuse me of having an affair with my food, but I’ll tell you one thing, you’ll never enjoy it unless you feel it. :D

If you dare to go on a sweet sour ride, fasten that apron on because here’s what you need..
(Recipe by Stephanie Jaworski, Lemon Frosted Lemon Cake)

:: Cake Ingredients ::
1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature --soft
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large lemon*
2 cups (280 grams) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice

:: Lemon Glaze ::
1 cup (115 grams) confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

:: aaand Action ::
1. Oven & Pan
a. Preheat the oven to, theoraticaly, 350 F. This also depends on your oven. I set mine to a temperature between 250 F and 300 F.
b. Place rack in the center or more towards the top of the oven.
c. Spray a 9 inch pan with butter spray. You have to take into consideration that changing the size of the pan will change the baking time and most likely the oven temperature.

2. Wisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. With your electric mixer,
a. Cream the butter. Add the sugar gradually. Beat until fluffy (3 min)
b. Add the eggs, 1 at a time.
c. Add the Lemon zest and vanilla extract.

4. Add flour mix and lemon juice alternately and gradually. Scrape down the sides and bottom and mix until ingredients are well incorporated, but don’t over beat the mixture because it can make your cake dry.

5. After you pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake it for 40-45 min. When I changed the size of the pan to an 8 inch one. I set the oven to 250 F and the baking time lasted to 60-65 min. I also tried it with a 9 inch doughnut shape pan and it took around 45-50 min. The trick here is to check the cake after 40 min, unless you’re using a pan that is smaller than 9 inch. To do that, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. When it comes out clean, your cake is done.

6. Put the cake on a cooling rack.

7. To prepare the glaze, mix the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice. I usually add a little more lemon juice until I feel that the consistency is good for pouring over the cake yet not very thin (about ½ to 1 teaspoon). Drizzle that on top and sides of the cake when it’s almost cool. Let the topping completely cool before you cover the cake to give it the ability to turn into a perfect glaze. If you cover it before, your cake will have wrinkles! :P The glaze is essential because it enhances the citrusy flavor within the cake and, hence, gives it the cake it’s rich taste.

Enjoy..
If there’s one thing that complements this cake, it would be a cup of tea.

Smooth Transformation..
Another thing that I tried with the same recipe was transforming it into an Orange cake. To do that all you need is to substitute the lemon zest and juice with orange zest and juice. The same goes for the glaze, but just make sure that you refine the juice that you use for the glaze from pulp because you want to keep that perfect smooth texture on top.

Lemons..
Try to get some perfect skin lemons because you’ll be using the outer skin of the lemon AKA zest. Zest is an amazing part of lemons. It’s very fragrant and full of flavor. CAUTION :: When you’re zesting the lemon, make sure that you’re only pealing the yellow part not the whit one beneath it because the bitterness resides in that part not in the yellow one. Also, zest the lemon before you juice it because it’s almost impossible to properly zest a squeezed lemon.

--Nora :)