Lemon Butterfmilk Cake #2 (Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed., pg. 24). Also in Maida Heatter's New Book of Great Desserts
(Alfred A. Knopf, 1982. pg. 115.Maida Heatter has several lemon cake recipes. The most popular is the East 62nd Street Lemon Cake which was printed over and over again by everyone when she died. I kept thinking - is this the only recipe people are aware of?
Maida Heatter's Cakes lists no less than three lemon cakes - the aforementioned as well as "The Best Damn Lemon Cake" and the one here - "Lemon Buttermilk Cake #2". Years ago, I made "The Best Damn Lemon Cake" and apparently I thought otherwise as I put a big X next to it and the comment "Too Much Extract"! Actually the inclusion of lemon extract would ruin any cake in my opinion. Anyway, I didn't even blog about that one.
Now comes this one and a mystery. I had a check mark next to which indicates that I have made it. It is nowhere to be found on my blog though and I don't remember making it.
Another mystery - and this one from Maida herself. She says that the recipe appeared in her first book but she received numerous letters and comments saying that something was wrong with it. I have the 1997 reprint of her book and the recipe is not in it. She does address it again in her 1982 book Maida Heatter's New Book of Great Desserts where she corrected the recipe but doesn't say what was wrong about it in the first edition.
This is a good lemon cake that is very light. Serve with fruit, ice cream or whipped cream.
Finely grated rind of 2 or 3 large lemons
3 TBS. lemon juice
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
Glaze:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Preheat the oven to 350. Butter and dust a tube pan (10-cup capacity) with bread crumbs.
Combine the lemon juice and rind and set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Beat the butter until slightly soft. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the eggs one at at a time and mix well. On low speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk in two additions. Scrap the bowl as needed and mix well.
Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and add the lemon juice.
Transfer to the cake pan and smooth the top. Baker for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean.
As the cake is baking, mix the lemon juice and sugar for the glaze. Set aside and periodically whisk it.
When the cake is done, let it sit in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and brush the lemon juice all over it. Let it completely cool.
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5 comments:
Totally agree about the Best Damned Lemon Cake — the lemon extract (and it was a LOT!) made it borderline inedible — a rare Maida miss !
I happy you made this cake. I did try "The Best Damn Lemon Cake" I although I agree with you, I sort of like it as a "lemon candy" cake *i.e. Lemonhead. But for this one, it was much better. However, buttermilk replaced with sour cream & lemon replaced with calamansi (South Asian Sour Citrus) made it just as wonderful.
I just found your blog a month ago. I'm so glad! Thanks for doing this cake. Funny what you said about the Best Damn Lemon Cake since my kids like it more than the 62nd st for how it more closely resembles the Starbucks lemon loaf. Anyway, I've been wanting to ask you about sifting flour. The reason I don't turn to Maida recipes as often is because I don't want to sift the flour. Do you just weigh then sift or just sift then measure? Have you tried not sifting?
Hi Ellen, When I made that lemon cake, I think I used too much lemon extract or maybe my extract just wasn't good. Anyway, I should try it again. About the flour - I've learned that just whisking the flour with the other ingredients (baking powder, salt, or whatever) is usually sufficient. If I do sift, I measure after sifting.
The easiest way is to whisk the flour in the container, then spoon into measuring cup, and level. This ensures a correct flour quantity. After ingredients are added to flour whisk again to combine or mix in stand mixer.
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