CANDIED-FENNEL-TOPPED LEMON CAKE

Candied-Fennel-Topped Lemon Cake image

Provided by Maggie Ruggiero

Categories Cake Dessert Easter Mother's Day Lemon Fennel Butter Buttermilk Gourmet Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

For candied fennel:
1 small fennel bulb
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
3 (3-inch) strips lemon zest, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
For cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
Equipment: a 9-by 2-inch round cake pan; an adjustable-blade slicer
Accompaniment: lightly sweetened whipped cream

Steps:

Prepare cake pan:
Lightly oil pan and line bottom and side with a large round of wax paper, pleating sides and trimming to fit. Lightly oil paper. Line side with a 2-inch-wide strip of wax paper long enough to wrap around inside of pan to cover pleats, then lightly oil.
Make candied fennel:
Cut fennel bulb lengthwise with slicer into enough 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 9) to cover bottom of cake pan.
Cover fennel with cold water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Drain fennel and set aside. Add sugar, water (3/4 cup), zest, and fennel seeds to saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add fennel slices and very gently simmer until tender and translucent and liquid is syrupy, about 40 minutes. Lift fennel slices out with a fork and arrange decoratively in bottom of cake pan. If you have more than 1/3 cup syrup, boil to reduce; if less, add water. Cool syrup slightly, then pour (through a fine-mesh sieve if desired) over fennel.
Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in zest.
At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and mixing until just combined. Gently spoon batter over topping, spreading evenly.
Bake until cake is golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan 15 minutes, then invert onto a plate and continue to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.