Cake #29 - Citrus Cake

This is a pretty lame thing to admit, but I brought this cake to work, and then never got around to cutting myself a piece before it was all gone.  I stopped by my boss's admin assistant's desk to ask her how the cake was.  She said it was good, although not as lemony as the cupcakes she makes.  I used Meyer's lemons, which are sweeter and not as tart, which may have impacted the degree of lemon taste. 

I'll make it again and give a better report on how it tastes.  I can say that it's a smallish cake and is quick to whip up and to bake (I did it on a weekday evening.)

Citrus Cake

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1½ cups cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for pan
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of 2 lemons
½ cup buttermilk (I used 1½ teaspoons lemon juice, plus 2% milk to make ½ cup)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1½ cups candied orange peel, cut into ¼-inch strips (optional – I didn’t use these)
 
1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9-inch round cake pan; line with a parchment round, and butter parchment.  Dust with flour, tapping out excess. 
2.       Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3.       With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 3 minutes.  Gradually add granulated sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each.  Add lemon zest.  Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of buttermilk; beat until combined.
4.       Transfer batter to prepared pan.  Bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes.  Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.  Turn out cake onto a serving platter.
5.       Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until smooth and opaque.  Spread glaze over top of cake with an offset spatula, allowing glaze to drip over side of cake.  Garnish with candied orange peel, if using, and serve.

Candied orange peel

Cover ¼–inch strips of citrus peel (pith removed) with cold water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and then drain.  Repeat twice.  Bring equal amounts water and sugar (enough to cover the strips) to a boil; cook until sugar dissolves.  Add strips; simmer gently on medium-low until peel is translucent, 1 hour.  Let cool (off heat) in syrup.  Wipe excess syrup from each strip, roll in sugar, and let dry on a wire rack.

From Martha Stewart’s Cakes