SPICED SNACKING CAKE

Spiced Snacking Cake image

Number Of Ingredients 14

1/4 cup safflower oil
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 piece egg plus egg yolk room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream
2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 1/2 tablespoons whole milk
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 piece vanilla bean split and scraped
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, plus 1 to 3 tablespoons fresh juice

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Brush a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with oil. Line with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg and yolk, sour cream, oil, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons milk until combined. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until smooth (batter will be thick). Transfer to prepared pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Bake until lightly golden and top of cake springs back wen lightly pressed, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool 30 minutes. Using overhangs, transfer cake from pan to rack; let cool completely.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioner's sugar, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons milk, vanilla seeds, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (or up to 1 tablespoon, for a zesty bite), and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until smooth and pourable. (If glaze is too thick, add up to remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice.) Pour over top of cake, spreading to edges with offset spatula. Allow to set before slicing, about 30 minutes. Cake can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, up to 3 days; return to room temperatue before serving.