Luscious Lemon Cake

Originally uploaded by MsAnthropologist

Looking back at my original post, I am happy with the general ground I have covered. Though it seemed to come up a little short in the way of giving you some concrete detail of the type of person you are going to be faced with here on this particular blog.

If you are a weirdo like me and spend far too much time studying the telling details in peoples photos, you may have already figured a few things about me: I don't wash windows.... ^_^ At least the ones in this apartment. I am sure the outside of my building has been peed on once or twice and I am just not interested in getting hot water all over that slurry. Also, I am not a disposable J-Cloth user either, I have a preference for the homemade knit type. Finally, I enjoy cake! Eating it, baking it, covering it in sugary goo, you name it and I will do it with cake! Well, alright maybe not everything. (Besides, its already been done with a pie, old hat)

Above there is a very yummy, not so photoshopped picture of the Luscious Lemon Cake I made for afternoon tea this week and I was lucky enough to have a couple friends over to help bear the burden. I found the recipe after going through many different candidates in my various books and other foodie blog sites online, settling for a well reviewed Recipezaar version of a classic.

One thing you will be able to tell by the end of this post is, I bake like most cook. I have learned some hard lessons with this practice, but I have also experimented where most bakers fear to experiment only to find some very successful (and delicious) deviations from the norm. So when I outline my recipe, I will tell you what I put in, then in some fancy italics I will tell ya what the recipe called for. Most of my changes are for the sake of higher fiber contents, and lower sugar contents.

Luscious Lemon Cake

1 cup white flour (2 cups white, no whole-wheat)

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/8 tsp Salt (Called for 1/4 tsp)

1 grated lemon zest (2 grated lemons no orange)

1 grated orange zest

1 cup sugar (calls for an additional 1/4 cup)

1 cup 1% yogurt (calls for 2%)

1/4 cup melted salted butter (unsalted; this is why there is a change to salt content)

1/4 cup lemon juice squeezed from zested lemon

2 eggs

1/2 tsp Baking soda

First preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and dust a couple of 9 inch round, or a 5 inch round (should be deeper than normal) This recipe yields about 3 cups of mix, and should come up about 2/3rds of the way up whatever pan you use.

In a big measuring cup measure your flour(s), Baking powder, salt and zest

In your mixing bow add the sugar, yogurt, melted butter, lemon juice and whip them with a whisk, hand blender, or stand mixer on medium till they are combined, then add the eggs, one at a time, giving them a chance to mix in to the rest of the batter. Finally mix in the baking soda to this wet mixture.

You need to add your dry ingredients in 3 separate additions, this task may seem redundant but it will make sure that your cake is mixed thoroughly, and that no cake tunnels form while baking. (there are even some rules I have to follow) Once the mix has come together, transfer it to the prepared pan and throw it into your pre-heated oven.

Depending on what sort of pan you use, you may want to -- I can't do it... I have to say something...

If you are one of those mis-informed kitchen folk out there who think preheating the oven is an unnecessary step, or even as I have seen it argued "environmentally unfriendly" please heed my warning well. Without proper preheating, the eggs in your baking can make you sick, also, your final product will not be as awesome as it should be. I know this is probably something that does not need to be said to most people out there, but this is a public blog, so who knows who may be reading. Anyways, as I was saying

Depending on what sort of pan you use, you may want to adjust your baking times. If you have a couple of 9 inch rounds the standard 35 minutes should work. Last time I was out bargain shoppi--erm I mean picking up the latest if baking technology from my local... french kitchen supply shop, Value Village (come on, try and say it will a french accent...) I found a perfect 5 inch wide 3 inch deep copper cake pan and $1.25 later, it was on its way home with me. So my cake went into the oven for 50 minutes to account for the thickness and added height. This is no where near an exact science so my advice is to either become alright with the idea of losing a few dessert attempts in the name of experimentation, or use the proper pan sizes.

If you choose the experimentation route there are a couple of other pieces of advice I can give on how to tell when your cake is at its optimum done-ness. The top will be golden brown, and even developing a little bit of a crust. If you removed too much sugar from your recipe this could effect how brown the top gets before you enter into the realm of over baking. If you gently press your finger in the middle of the cake, it should spring back immediately. Also the edges will start to gently pull away from the sides of the pan you are using. This is a sign of good things to come when it comes time to pop that puppy out of there.

After the cake has had time to hang out in the pan, outside of the ovens heat. (about 15 minutes should do, any more and the cake may re-grab the sides of your pan) Slide the edge of a butter knife around the edge and lay your cooling rack on top of the pan. Using your oven mitts, flip the whole thing over so that you can gently lift the pan off of your cake without mishap (hopefully!)

Letting the cake cool before attempting to cut your own layer or applying icing is also another of those cardinal baking rules that I respectfully follow. To make sure that you follow that rule too, I am not going to tell you how I did either one until tomorrow. Wrap it up in plastic, then some tinfoil and leave it in your fridge (not on the counter) over night (or for a couple hours). You wont be sorry.