Sunday, August 28, 2011

Lemon Bliss Cake

This cake may not look like much from my photo but the name says it all...lemon bliss!

It packs a powerful punch of flavor from the lemons in the cake, using the zest, which has all the flavor, and a lemon glaze brushed on top of the warm cake.

It's moist and tangy, with a tight crumb.

As all cakes of this kind, it only gets better the next day or two, so go grab some lemons and make this cake!
Serve it with whipped cream and maybe some fresh blueberries sprinkled on top. Yum!

It begins, like most cakes, with creaming the butter and sugar til fluffy and light.
Then add in the eggs, then the dry ingredients, alternately with the milk.


Throw in lots of lemon zest, which gives it it's great lemony flavor.


Spoon the batter into your favorite bundt pan and smooth the top.


Then brush on that lovely lemon glaze.

Lemon Bliss Cake (from  King Arthur Flour)

Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ozs.) unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups AP flour (I used 13.5 ozs.) ( I always use King Arthur Flour)
1 cup milk
Finely grated rind of 2 lemons OR 3/4 tsp. lemon oil

Glaze:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
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Preheat oven to 350. Butter and lightly flour a 10" tube pan or a 9" to 10", 9 to 10 cup capacity bundt pan.

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and salt, then cream til light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Add the baking powder, then add the flour alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix til smooth.
4. Stir in the grated lemon zest ( or the lemon oil, if using).
5. Spoon the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
6. Bake the cake 55 to 60 minutes, or til a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. While the cake is finishing it's baking, make the glaze by combining the sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
8. Once the cake comes out of the oven, set it aside on a wire cake to cool 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and turn the cake out onto the rack. Place another rach on top and turn the cake over so it's right side up.
9. Poke the hot cake all over the top with a cake tester or toothpick. Stir the glaze again, then brush the top with the glaze, letting it sink in, then brush on more glaze, continuing til all the glaze is used.
10. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing.

5 comments:

  1. It looks so yummy!! I adore lemon. I've never made anything in a bundt pan, could I make the cake in muffin tins or a loaf pan instead?

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  2. Kathryn,
    I'm not sure if the muffin tins wouldn't be too small. However, I think making this cake in a loaf pan would be fine. You'd need to most likely make in 2 pans but I think it would come out great!
    Susan

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  3. I'm going to disagree with your opening line :), that top image had a huge impact on me, the cake looks perfect!
    @Kathryn - If you used two 8x4 loaf pans your bake time would likely be around 50 to 55 minutes, if you used two 9x5 loaf pans you're bake time would probably be a bit less, 45 to 50. If you made the full recipe in muffin tins you'd probably end up with two dozen muffins (maybe a little more depending on how you fill the tins).

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  4. Thanks Adam for your vote of confidence on the first photo! I'm always striving for perfection but I can only get a photo as good as my old dinky camera will allow! And thanks, also, being more specific on the directions for baking and the pan size for Kathryn. I find it very confusing that loaf pans in nearly the same size come in two different sizes.
    Susan

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  5. Susan, thanks for visiting my blog- I don't have an email for you so I'm just saying thanks here, on the post that looks like an amazing recipe that I have to try. Yes, that was likely me on the farm- it's such a wonderful oasis there. It was nice to meet you too.

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