Lemon Cake
23
A plain lemon cake is a joy to eat fresh from the oven. It speaks summer like no other afternoon treat during hot days. Just like old fashioned lemonade it has the ability to lift your spirits and make the heat bearable as you have a cool, citrus, spongy slice sitting on a wooden deck for afternoon tea. I love to see big, fat and shiny lemons starting to do the rounds in market stalls as we head into thunderstorm season and the gradual heating up of November in Sydney.
We used to have three very established citrus trees in our backyard. Age has slowly taken its toll on all three of them, the last one taking its dying breath last week. Even though I know they are just plants, I can’t help but feel a twinge of sadness for what they had meant to us. In honour of them we recently planted two Meyer lemons in gigantic Tuscan style terracotta pots in our front patio. And one of them has started flowering. As we take down the last dead citrus stump next week, we will usher in two gorgeous new fledgeling citrus trees that will come to mean a lot in the coming years.
I love baking with lemon. My ordinary butter cakes are always spiked with grated lemon rind. But this pure lemon cake is something else. It is tangy and tart and bursting with happy flavour. Fresh organic eggs and plump juicy lemons will ensure that your cake achieves the cheery sunny demeanour that is so vital to a lemon cake. It must be yellow. Not overly so, but a muted canary shade. Eat plain dusted with icing sugar (as the base recipe is not very sweet to begin with) or sandwiched with a fantastic mascarpone cream that will balance the tartness.
{Food Styling And Prop Alert} – The white flat serving plate is from Mayfair And Jackson bought at Target for $4. Wooden Reusable Spoons $9.96 for 20 – Donna Hay General Store. Yellow dotted fabric square $1 – Spotlight. Wood handle vintage knife And Vintage silver cake knife $3 – Thrift Store. Modern Nostalgia dessert plate by Royal Doulton $16.95 – Donna Hay General Store. DIY Yellow cake flags made by sticking gingham grosgrain ribbon to bamboo skewers with double sided scrapbooking tape. Yellow daisy picked for me by Gummi Bear in our backyard. Red Plastic juicer $2 – Kmart. French red striped linen $12 – Sorrento Homewares, St.Ives. Red stripey paper straws $14.95 for box of 144 – Larkmade. Retro kitchen Alfresco cup in white $5 – Peters Of Kensington.
LEMON CAKE
Preparation Time – 10 minutes
Baking Time – 50 minutes
Serves – 8
Ingredients
125g butter, softened
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups caster sugar
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup milk
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line the base of a deep 20cm cake pan with baking paper.
Beat butter, rind and sugar in a bowl until creamy and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift flour over the egg mixture. Add juice and beat for a few seconds. Add milk and beat until well combined.
Pour in prepared tin. Tap the tin on the worktop to settle the batter. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 50-60 minutes until golden and cooked through when tested with a skewer.
Stand cake for 5 minutes, then turn onto a cake plate or wire rack and cool completely.
Totally agree with you that lemon definately has an uplifting quality and this cake is no exception. Looks fabulously moist. Thanks for adding where you buy your props from as well. They are all gorgeous finds
Sukaina´s last [type] ..Baking Again
I have this extra love for lemon and it hardly happens that I forget to zest or squeeze as I cook, be it savory or sweet. Lemon cake has been my fav all the time, but the idea of using mascarpone as sandwich is something I would like to try !
kankana´s last [type] ..Spiced Cranberry and Nut Swirl Bread – Guest Post by Soma @ eCurry
so fabulous!!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc.´s last [type] ..Fashion Friday: Winter Essentials
When I saw first the title of this post, I thought, “Lemon? Now?” but now I’m definitely into it. I love your pictures! And the little flags are super cute. I’m really jealous of your lemon trees. I’m years away from having a house but when I do, I already know where the lemon trees will go.
Erin @ Texanerin Baking´s last [type] ..100% Whole Grain Pumpkin Gingerbread
Nothing like growing your own citrus fruit.Not only do they taste refreshing and fresh,but seeing those rounds of color hanging by green branches is a sight in itself!
The cake looks very tasty,pictures are beautiful,and what I love even more is that it uses no exotic/difficult to be found ingredients.Everyday ingredients that are found in everyone’s pantry.
Thank you for sharing,I am tweeting this one!:-)
Fahad Khan (@PharaohKhan)´s last [type] ..From Streets Of India: Hari Chutney (For Chaat)
To be able to pluck a lemon from your own backyard and cook it in your kitchen is pure domestic bliss… I am envious. And cakes like this will never go out of fashion…
Shirley@kokken69´s last [type] ..Cranberry Cream Cheese Bun – Barcook? Not Quite Yet
I love lemon and cook with it often. This cake looks wonderful, I’ll definitely give this a go. And thanks for your prop info too; I’ve been thinking that it’s time I went hunting for a few new bits and pieces.
Tenille´s last [type] ..Table Tip: Kids In The Kitchen
a beautiful ode to your old lemon trees. this cake looks thoroughly delicious and such pretty snaps to match. dayle
Will have to try and make this and using organic eggs. There will be a difference in colour too?
penny aka jeroxie´s last [type] ..Bye Singapore. When will I see you again?
lighter I think. I find organic, free range eggs to have a lighter fresher yolk. My chickens lay eggs that have a lighter yolk and they are practically free range and eat lots of grans and fresh produce.
How sad that the trees have died – I’m glad you’ve replaced them
Lemon is such a wonderful flavouring – especially in big doses like this cake! I like the flags too.
Emma @ Poires au Chocolat´s last [type] ..Ginger Root Bundt Cake
What beautiful styling
I love the flags!!
Nic@diningwithastud´s last [type] ..Tokonoma – Surry Hills
So so sweet! This cake is screaming out Summer. My boyfriend’s family’s lemon tree is overloaded with lemons. I might have to acquire some and make this cake. I’d drizzle some homemade limoncello over it as well just for kicks
Phuoc’n Delicious´s last [type] ..Zest, Nelson Bay
Beautiful Sneh!!! I love lemon cakes too, in fact anything lemon, it’s such a summery scent. I love the flags you made for the cake. So cute!!
Enjoy your new lemon trees!
Jennifer (Delicieux)´s last [type] ..Blueberry Pancakes with Whipped Lemon Butter
10 mins prep time?
I’m in!
Looks so tasty I wish I could reach through
my ‘puter and take that slice…
Coco´s last [type] ..A Thousand Arabian Nights: Pom-glazed Kibbeh
Such a beautiful looking lemon cake……looks absolutely delicious.
A lovely cake! I am a sucker for anything that is lemony.
Cheers,
Rosa
Lovely & simple.
i adore a good lemon cake! looks fab!
oh sweet escape´s last [type] ..Meyer Lemon Cured Preserves
hi,
it was my 1st attempt with lemon cake, and it turned out perfect.. thanks a lot for sharing this recipe
Thought I’d let you know that you inspired me; thank you!
Tenille @ My Family Table´s last [type] ..Lemon Butterfly Cakes
Finally I tried this recipe and I must say, it’s simply awesome!! I divided the batter into three different pan–6 muffin pans, mini cake pan and tiny loaf pan and I’m enjoying the cupcake as I write this. The lemon flavor is amazing!
Now I can’t wait to try your other cake recipes..
Nash at Plateful´s last [type] ..Nutella Lava Mug Cake
i’ve just made this using your recipe and it is soooo good!! i didn’t use rind of lemon, because my lemons looked depressive, but i used juice of two lemons instead, just to make it even more sour.
it was not sour, it was just more delicious!
have a great spring!
oh,henry´s last [type] ..god is an astronaut…