Tuesday 20 November 2012

Cake

I have talked about Pinterest a few times of late. You won't be surprised to find out that I am obsessed with pinning food as I am sewing related things. I have decided that I shouldn't only look at pictures of pretty food, but try making some of these tempting things too.

So on the weekend, when there was a birthday in the house, I tried a new cake recipe. I did so because the birthday person is not a sweet, lob on the icing sort of cake person. Obviously not my birthday then! I remembered that I had pinned a recipe for Lemon Pound Cake. The photo was ever so tempting.

Photo and recipe found on Dozen Flours blog here.
This cake is not for a first time baker (a) because it is huge, and (b) because it has a couple of extra steps in it that are not in your basic cake recipes. It is not difficult, but it does take longer than a normal cake to knock together.

It uses four lemons. Yes, four! And not just the zest, but the pulp and juice too. I spent a happy little time teaching myself to cut between the membranes of the lemon sections to get all the pulp out. And longer still getting all the lemon seeds from that.

The recipe calls for a 16 cup size ring tin. What?! That is huge. I made two cakes instead. I do not have a ring tin that big. Doubt I ever will. Besides, who on earth knows the cup volume of their baking tins? (If you all do then please lie!)


That all said, the batter was divine. Surprised I had enough to put in two tins I was eating so much. The cake was popped in the oven and took well over an hour to cook. The top started browning a little too much, but it is not as dark as the photos imply. I opted out of putting on the lemon icing glaze, though that would have disguised the darker bits I am sure.


We ate the cake with fresh strawberries and extra thick whipped cream. It was gorgeous. Rich and lemony, a moist, dense crumb without being heavy. The chopped up lemon pulp gives you pockets of lemon that hit you with an extra zing.

Would I make this recipe again? Yes, most certainly, though I would look at halving it. That would make a good every day size cake. As it is I do have the second one in the freezer for us to look forward to in the not to distant future.

Susan

28 comments:

  1. that looks divine. I only make my cakes from boxes .. this looks and sounds so good I might just have to try it. I love love love lemon.

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  2. It looks delicious plus I love lemon!

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  3. Mmm, that looks so good! I love lemon cake!
    R x

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  4. This sounds delicious and I think I might have pinned it too last weekend. Now that you have tried it I will too.

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  5. I think lemon drizzle may be my favouritest ever cake...actually all cake is my favouritest! This looks delish but too big for this house - I live with a non cake eater and a chocolate cake eater...leave you to work out who is who!

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  6. OMG, eating cake mix YES PLEASE!!!
    That sounds like a great way to avoid packing & use up the leftover limes at the same time. LOL
    Damn, no sugar left!!!

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  7. Sounds delicious. I have tons of meyer lemons to use up so I might just give it a try.

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  8. I was just about to ask how you're supposed to know the cup size of your cake tin until I read you didn't know either. Cake looks fab. You can't beat a good lemon cake.

    On the food front I have a recipe I am hoping to do for the weekend because I think it has Canadian origins. ;-)

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  9. Blimmin Americans and their cups! I'll be right round for a slice :-D

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  10. YUM! That looks huge! Love lemon cake! But lots more icing for me! Jxo

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  11. Lemon cake is my favourite...and this looks a good one...though I don't have a tin like this :o(

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  12. What a massive, yummy cake! Di x

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  13. Yummy- I love the tang of lemon cake!

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  14. haaaaahhhh ooooooo eeeeee I did enjoy this post, and the photos.... off to raid the cake tin x

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  15. It looks delicious, I'm off to look at the recipe!

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  16. Yum, love lemon in cake. That is a huge recipe, but at least you now have one for later.

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  17. Now that is just spectacular. Absolutely amazing - I'll be right over for a taste myself :)

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  18. Yum! Eating what you pin is the way to go I tell ya ;o)

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  19. Lemon cake is one of my absolute favourites. I tried a pound cake once and it called for a ridiculous number of eggs and it turned out to be a disaster. You may have encouraged me to give this one a go though. I'll be halving the recipe ...16 cups of cake is ridiculous!

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  20. Mmm lemon cake! Icing? Please?

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  21. That sounds (and looks) absolutely divine.
    i have just discovered Pintrest and it is totally addictive. i'm glad to see you're actually making the things you pin, becasue I can envision it becoming a black hole for ideas - everything goes in, nothing ever comes out...
    E

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  22. Yum! I also pin almost but not quite as many cooking related things as sewing related.

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  23. Another reason to say "divine".

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  24. Looks gorgeous!!

    Sometimes they stamp the volume on the tins themselves but Martha Stewart always said that you use your measuring cup to keep track and pour in water until it's close to the top. It's helped me with a few pan conversions when I was without the correct shape. But most of time, it's "Meh, it's big enough."

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