What is it about January and citrus?! I know that it is actually citrus season, but could that really make me crave it so intensely? I’ve been thinking about this lemon cake for about 4 days when I picked up a bag of Meyer Lemons at the store. While they are becoming easier to get during the entire year, I’m making a real effort to eat seasonally. I feel like there is so much more to look forward to each season when we wait for seasonal foods and focus on what is best and fresh. So, no heirloom tomato salads for me in February, and no strawberries until at least until late spring… or until we dip them in chocolate for Valentine’s Day ; ) But, gosh, won’t they taste good when we do have them. It is January, and we will be making Lemon Cake (actually on the to-do list for today), Crispy Lemon Chicken, Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, Lemony Shrimp Scampi and Lemon Mousse. Hopefully that extra hit of Vitamin C will help cure us of our sniffles, too. Maybe that is why January is citrus season? ….. This post was written about 2 years ago during “citrus” season… or around it.
Lemon Butter Cake
makes 1 medium loaf size cake
1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 lemons, zested & juiced 1 teaspoon vanilla
…….
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350.
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together butter and sugar for 3 minutes. Add eggs. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In another separate bowl, combine milk, lemon juice, zest and vanilla. Add half of the wet ingredients to the butter sugar mixture, mix for 5 seconds, then add half of the dry and mix for 5 seconds. Repeat with second half, ending with dry ingredients. Pour batter into loaf pan – I like to line mine with parchment paper ($10). Bake for 35-40 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
For glaze, mix together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Pour over slightly warm cake. Top with lemon zest.
I made some cupcakes for Emma – she helped with the glaze and did the sprinkles all by herself.
Essentials Used:
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