I have a habit of not only using what I can find in my pantry and fridge, but also reducing the recipe in half. Part of this is due to the fact I only am allotted a small space in the fridge. I share the fridge with 7 other girls, so we are a little tight on space and my little vegetable drawer can't seem to handle my many experiments. The following list of ingredients reflects the original recipe with some of my side notes as to how I prepared the cake.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided (again, I went with Splenda but according to Livestrong, it is possible to also substitute the required sugar with Agave)
- 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (my EggBeaters came to the rescue...I'll get around to purchasing real eggs)
- 1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons - I ended up using the fresh lemon juice)
- 3 cups flour (~mixed ration of wheat:white)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature (see below)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Lemon and Milk
In a 1-cup measuring cup, add 1 TBSP of fresh lemon juice. Add in the required serving of milk (skim, lowfat, or whole!) Stir and let it sit for ~2 minutes. Viola, your milk is now "acidic and curdled."
Optional Serving Additions:
- Berries (mmmmm RASPBERRIES)
- Whipped Cream
- Glazed Topping: Combine the following ingredients and pour over the tops of the cakes, allowing the glaze to drizzle down the sides
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put a little grease and flour in the 2 loaf pans (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch). If you are new to this, you simply spray the pan with a little pam or butter, spoon some flour inside and shake it around so all the sides are covered. There is also the option of lining the bottom with parchment paper, but I didn't have too many problems with just the flour.
2. Instead of purchasing lemon juice (which is completely respectable) I had to take the time to pick and roll out the lemons, then juicing them.
 |
| Watch out for those seeds :) That would make dessert more interesting, but not so appetizing. |
3. Cream the butter and 2 cups sugar in the bowl, using an electric mixer, until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). If you have an mixer with a stand, keep it on medium speed, or otherwise add the following ingredients one at a time: eggs & lemon zest lemon zest.
4. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a
bowl.
5. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and
vanilla.
6. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the
batter, beginning and ending with the flour.
7. Divide the batter evenly
between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour,
until a knife comes out clean.
For some reason, the cake didn't seem to rise properly. At least it didn't look what I thought it would look like or what Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa recipe did. Potential issues that may have caused this dilemma: the fact I divided the ingredients in half, my use of EggBeaters instead of real eggs, or I might have messed up measurements somewhere.
For some reason, the cake didn't seem to rise properly. At least it didn't look what I thought it would look like or what Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa recipe did. Potential issues that may have caused this dilemma: the fact I divided the ingredients in half, my use of EggBeaters instead of real eggs, or I might have messed up measurements somewhere.
But, overall, it was a success, so a lucky day indeed.
"Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart."
~Erma Bombeck
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