Lemon-Spice Visiting Cake

This looked like a nice simple cake. Rather pound cakey (the Sous Chef's favorite!). I had some lemons; I had some heavy cream so why not?!

Lemon-Spice Visiting Cake (Adapted from NY Times)

1 1/2 c flour
1 1/4 t baking powder
1 t ground cardamom
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t sea salt
1 1/4 c sugar
1 lemon (with zest)
4 eggs
1/2 c heavy cream
2 t vanilla
5 T butter, melted

Optional glaze:
1 c confectioners sugar mixed with about 2T fresh lemon juice & zest
OR
1/3 c marmalade mixed with 1/2 t water (warmed to make easily spreadable)

Grease & flour a loaf pan. Set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cardamom, ginger, and salt. Set aside.

Add sugar to another bowl and zest the lemon lemon over the bowl to capture all those oils. Rub zest into the sugar with your fingers. Set lemon aside. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Add 3T of juice from the lemon. Add vanilla and heavy cream. Whisk together. Whisk in dry ingredients into the batter in two additions. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 70-75 minutes. Toothpick inserted should come out clean. Rest in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto cooling rack. If using marmalade, apply glaze now. If using lemon glaze, let cool and then drizzle on. Or use nothing and it's all good too!

The spice is subtle but nice. You do not immediately say - WOW there's some spices in this cake. They are just subtly there. It's just an all purpose cake that I think most people would enjoy.

I opted for the confectioner's sugar glaze

Comments

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