"You Need This in Your Life" Lemon Cake
This is my husband’s spin on Ina Garten’s highly rated recipe. He baked this wonderful cake for my Mother’s Day celebration!
Prep Time: 30 minutes Bake Time: 55-60 minutes
WHAT YOU NEED:
FOR CAKE:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (4 medium lemons)
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 medium lemons)
3/4 cup lowfat milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
LEMON GLAZE:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 - 3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
MAKING IT:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 12- cup Bundt pan.
Cream the butter and sugar in electric mixer bowl; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon zest. (Note: it is important that butter and eggs are at room temperature).
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl or onto a sheet of wax paper. In separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, milk and vanilla. Alternate adding the flour mixture and lemon-milk mixture to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Pour batter into greased Bundt pan. Bake for 55 -60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Dust cooled cake with confectioner’s sugar or drizzle with Lemon Glaze (see below), if desired.
Lemon Glaze:
Whisk together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth and desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake, allowing glaze to drip down cake sides.
NUTRITION:
Nutrition Information per serving (1/16 cake, without glaze): 310 Calories; 13g Total Fat; (8g Sat Fat; 0g Trans Fat); 85mg Chol; 280mg Sodium; 44g Total Carb; (1g Fiber; 26g Total Sugars; 25g Added Sugars); 5g Protein
TIPS:
Special Extra: Spoon a Lemony Syrup over the warm cake! Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves. Spoon lemon syrup over warm cake after it has been removed from the pan.
Make in Loaf Pans: For 2 loaf cakes, divide batter equally between two 8½ x 4 ¼ -inch loaf pans (greased). Bake 50-60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
