Lemon-Drenched Lemon Cake
Written by joythebaker on January 9, 2009 – 1:29 pm -
Lemon-Drenched Lemon Cake.
For this cake, simple loaf pans just don’t measure up. After one slice of the perfect, absolutely perfect cake, it became clear that when I next bake this cake (tomorrow morning), I’ll need to devise some sort of pillow shaped cake pan.
This cake is going to be my new pillow. Forget goose feathers, cotton fluff, memory foam… I want, I need, I’m not sure how I’m going to live without a Lemon-Drenched Lemon Cake Pillow.
For serious.
Lemon Drenched Lemon Cakes
adapted from Dorie Greenspan
Think of this cake as a classy version of the store bought, chemical filled version of Sara Lee pound cake. The density is only matched by the soft, moist and lemony crumb. Sara Lee? Yea, I had my suspicions too, but this cake is without a doubt, the best pound-type cake I’ve ever encountered. Love. Love. Love.
I doubled the ingredients for the syrup and spread them between the two cakes. I liked lots of syrup.
For the Cakes:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
2 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 plump, moist vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved, or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
2/3 cups heavy cream
zest of two lemons, finely grated
1 stick, plus 7 Tablespoons (15 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the syrup:
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
juice of two lemons
Making the cakes:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8 1/2-4 1/2-inch loaf pans, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Even if the pans are nonstick, it’s a good idea to butter and flour them. Place the pans on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular sheets stacked one on top of the other.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Put the sugar and the lemon zest in a large bowl, working with your fingers, rub them together until the sugar is moist and thoroughly imbued with the fragrance of lemon. Add the vanilla bean seeds and work them into the sugar. If you are using vanilla extract, add it later, after you have added the eggs.
Add the eggs and whisk them into the sugar, beating until they are thoroughly incorporated. Whisk in the extract (if using), then whisk in the cream. Continuing with the whisk, or switching to a large rubber spatula, gently stir in the dry ingredients in 3 or 4 additions; the batter will be smooth and thick. Finish by folding in the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions. Pour the batter into the pans, smoothing with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. As soon as the cake goes into the oven, make the syrup. After about 30 minutes in the oven, check the cakes for color- if they are browning too quickly, cover them lightly with foil tents.
Making the syrup:
Stir the water and sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar melts, then bring to a boil Remove the pan from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and let cool.
When the cakes test done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before unmolding them and turning them right side up on the rack. Place the rack over a baking sheet lined with wax paper and, using a thin skewer, cake tester or thin-bladed sharp knife, poke holes all over the cakes. Brush the cakes all over with the syrup, working slowly so that the cakes sop it up. Leave the cakes on the rack to cool to room temperature.
Tags: Breakfast, cake, dessert, lemon, pound cake
Posted in Bread, Breakfast, Cakes, Fruit, Recipes | 82 Comments »
I baked this last night and took it to work this morning…all of the ladies in the office loved it and asked me where a got the recipe. After translating a few things into Russian (I live in Moscow, Russia)- the recipe quickly made it’s way around our office. Thank you for your wonderful pictures, recipes and stories!
I just found your blog. Your recipes look deliciously tempting.!
Your recipes look soooo good. I can’t wait to try the lemon cake. Do you publish a cookbook ?
Just made this today while looking for the zucchini sweet potato bread to make again (delicious). This was fabulous, in fact, we didn’t even wait till it cooled. Thanks
The cake looks great!!!
BUT…. before I jump head first into the oven is it possible to mention the measurements in oz/kg? Your overseas fans (me!!!) find it difficult to measure tsp of butter and un/furtunatly Isrealies don’t sell it by the sticks
Thanks a bunch!
[...] didn’t use a cake mix for my cake pops. Instead, I made a lemon cake using the Lemon Drenched Lemon Cake recipe from Joy the Baker’s blog, adapted from Dorie [...]
I made this on Saturday to make cake pops. The cake’s lemon tartness was a perfect compliment to the sweetness of the chocolate I used to cover the pops.
It was SOOOOOO good. I wish I made extra to eat is as it is… AND I will do so. With extra lemon syrup to drench.
*yum*
I forgot to say a BIG thank you for making this cake. It’s definitely going into my baking repertoire.
Heehee!
[...] Sunday, April 12 – Easter Sunday – italian chicken salad over greens; lemon-drenched lemon cake [...]
I made this last night and brought it to work – Wowzers! So many compliments! Thanks for the great recipe, it helped me get rid of my basket of Meyer Lemons.
I made this last night for a barbeque. It was amazing and dissapeared quickly! Thank you!
Joy,
Do you think I could make these as cupcakes? My triplets are wanting it for their 9th birthday next week and I thought cupcakes would be cute. Do you think it would work?
Joy, I made the lemon- drenched much to the delight of my neighbors who were begging for more! This is definitely the best lemon cake ever and I have been baking for 35 years. Love your blog.. so glad I found it.. going to try more of your recipes as soon as I make another round of lemon cake
This lemon cake looks amazing. I’d like to try amaretto as a substitute too, similar to your recommendation of dark rum. Your site is now in my favorites for baking ideas and recipes!
Hi, I couldn’t wait to try this recipe, and was so disappointed with the results. The cake was heavy and coarse, and a complete waste of my time and costly ingredients. I bake regularly, and with great success, and the only thing I can think of that I did not follow to the letter was that I baked the cake in a large, square heavy pan instead of two loaf pans. The lemon syrup was a lifesaver, as the actual cake was a sodden, flavourless mess and not recognisable when compared to the pic’s on the website. We ate the cake served with custard, fresh cream and fruit, to disguise the flopped results. Any comments from those of you who made this cake successfully?
I tried this cake yesterday and it sank in the middle but the syrup made everything wonderful. It has that eggy poundcake flavor and the density that comes only with artery-clogging amounts of butter. I used regular lemons, not Meyer, which require a second mortgage to buy up here in Canada…luckily I have a brother in the Bay Area who grows them!
Now I just hope I can get this to work at altitude…any tips? I´ve got a lot of experience at this, but the first time is always a shot in the dark! And Meyer Lemons grow here all over the place!
Joy! I made these cakes last weekend while visiting family in Florida. They were delicious!!! I will surely be making them again, very soon.
Love this site!
Have you ever cooked or made ice cream using the syrups that coffee shops use? They come in a zillion flavors but I don’t have a clue how
they might be used in the kitchen. Some of the more exotic flavors would be dynomite in your basic pound type cake recipe.
[...] folder and came across two more lemon recipes that have graced our kitchen in the last month, Lemon Drenched Lemon Cakes and Lemon Bundt Cake with Strawberry Rhubarb Syrup. Clearly, I have a problem. I’ve since [...]
I am going to try this as a bundt cake, I just order the Heritage Bundt Pan from Williams – Sanoma, and I think this would be perfect. If you haven’t seen this pan go to their website and take a look. One of the coolest, chic pans I’ve seen. I have a pan fetish I guess.
This looks way too awesome. will definitely be trying this recipe out.
i’m a new follower of your blog and I think you’re awesome!
Me from Malaysia, Asia. Tried this cake on Friday. This was the best cake I ever made. Replaced the cream with Evaporated Milk. For the syrup added juice of one lemon only. It’s was good. Thanks.
Okay, I can’t believe I haven’t commented on this yet! lol. I’ve had this on my list of “NEED to make” since you got it posted. I finally made it tonight and, at my three year old’s insistence, added the zest and juice of a lime as well “Because I like green, Momma! It HAS to have a lime!” My husband couldn’t wait for them to completely cool and promptly devoured one of them. hehe. I *was* going to take one in to work on Monday, but oh well. It’s too good to really share anyway.
Joy, as always, you rock. My mouth was watering the whole time I had this in the oven. lol. Thanks for sharing!
Delicious!
I’ve just discovered this blog and so glad I have.
This cake was fantastic.
Thanks.
Oh wow. This looks soooo good.
I was actually searching for a recipe with fava beans. Not quite sure how I ended up on this site, but Im glad I did
Wow, I needed to find this website in the middle of WINTER to fill those long dreary days.
Love looking and reading all the neat recipes on here. Thanks for the website. Hope to come back often.
YUMMO!!
Thanks from Michigan
I made these a few days ago and they are delicious!!! I love lemon and these hit the spot. After eating the first loaf I decided to make more lemon syrup and drench the second again. Then I served with vanilla bean ice cream and served to my guests. Everyone loved it. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
P.S. the batter is phenomenal
hi there. I baked this cake over the weekend, used Cederberg Lemons, we picked on the way back to Cape town.
and..
it was amazing, soft and lovely with hot custard (as it is winter here) ..infact there was almost a riot when it came to the left over batter in the bowl.
thanks for the inspiration
Hello, I made this cake in a bundt pan and it was so pretty. syrup didn’t taste very nice to me so I just sprinkled with powdered sugar.
I just made this and it completely collapsed in the middle 25 minutes into the baking. What did I do wrong!?!?!
I made this for little train cars for my son’s birthday and it turned out great. I did miss read the recipe and only put 1 stick of butter. Even though I did only put one stick it turned out great. Even my mother in law loved it. She had 6 pieces.