Best The Best Damn Lemon Cake Recipes

MAIDA HEATTER'S BEST DAMN LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°. Grease a loaf pan measuring 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 2 3/4″ with 1 tbsp. of the butter and dust it with the bread crumbs. Invert and tap out excess crumbs; set aside. In a food processor, grind the almonds until very fine, about 1 minute; set aside. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
• Put the remaining butter into a large bowl and add 1 cup of the sugar. Mix with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just long enough to incorporate, about 30 seconds. Add the flour mixture and milk mixture in 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until mixed after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, about 3 minutes total. Mix in the lemon extract and vanilla. With the spatula, fold in the lemon zest and ground almonds. (The mixture will be thin.) Turn batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and dry, about 65 minutes.
• Transfer the pan to a cooling rack. Prepare the glaze: Combine remaining sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. (Do not boil.) Brush the glaze over the hot cake. (The excess liquid may pool along the sides of the pan; it will absorb completely as it sits.) Once the cake has absorbed all the liquid, turn it out of the pan and allow it to cool upright on a rack. Once it's cool, wrap the cake with aluminum foil and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours before serving.

THE BEST DAMN LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Adjust rack to bottom 1/3 of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter a loaf pan with a 6 cup capacity and dust with cookie of plain bread crumbs.
• Sift together flourand baking powder.
• Melt butter.
• In a mixing bowl combine butter and sugar.
• Add eggs one at a time on low speed.
• Then add sifted dry ingredients and milk alternately.
• Mix in lemon extract.
• Fold in almonds and lemon zest.
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake for 65-75 minutes.
• Two or three minutes before the cake is done, prepare the glaze.
• Heat juice and sugar until the sugar is melted, but do not boil.
• Remove the cake from the oven and cool for three minutes.
• Then glaze the cake in the pan by brushing the hot liquid over the cake, letting it soak in slowly- this should take about five minutes.
• Cool and turn cake out onto a rack.
• Store wrapped in wax paper AND aluminum foil.
• Best served after a few days.

LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.
• Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
• For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

MAIDA HEATTER'S BEST DARN LEMON CAKE EVER

Steps:

• Spray an 8-1/2"x5" loaf pan with baking spray.
• Grind almonds very fine and set aside.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
• In a small heavy saucepan, melt butter. Transfer to a large bowl. With electric mixer, add sugar and beat a bit to mix.
• On low speed, beat in eggs one at a time, beating only to mix well.
• Add dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with milk in two additions, scraping bowl with a spatula and beating until mixed after each addition.
• Mix in lemon extract.
• Remove from mixer. Stir in grated rind, then stir in ground almonds.
• Turn mixture into pan. (It will be thin.) Bake at 350 for 65-75 minutes. (During baking, cake will form a large crack or two on top, and crack(s) will remain light in color.).
• A few minutes before cake is finished, prepare glaze: stir sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over moderate heat, only until sugar is just dissolved. (Don't boil!).
• When cake is removed from the oven, let it stand for 2-3 minutes. Then, using brush, brush the hot glaze gradually over the hot cake. Glaze should not be applied quickly; it should take about 5 minutes to apply all the glaze.
• Let cake stand until not quite completely cool. Then gently invert onto a rack and turn right side up. When cool, wrap in plastic wrap or foil and let stand 12-24 hours before serving.