When Life Gives You Lemons...

This past weekend we began to prepare the garden for the upcoming growing season. There was not much left from last season: a few spring onions that for some odd reason new ones kept coming out all year round, and some peppers on a pair of limp looking  plants. Now the planting beds are looking rather bare, but ready to start planting,

On the other hand our lemon trees are thriving in the winter weather. They are laden with fruit. Probably more than we know what to do with it. So I taught, if life gives you lemons, you have to make lemon cake.

Glazed Lemon Cake with Candied Lemon
Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine
Makes 1 bundt cake or 2 loves.

For the Cake:
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of canola oil
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 eggs
3 tablespoons of lemon zest (from about 3 lemons)
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange flavored liquor (I used Cointreau)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup Greek style yogurt

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

Butter and flour a 12-cup bunt cake pan or line with parchment paper 2 loaf pans. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer beat together butter, oil and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition, follow with lemon zest, lemon juice, orange liquor and vanilla extract. Add the flour in three additions alternating with the yogurt (flour-yogurt-flour-yogurt-flour).

Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake for about 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cake cool for 10 minutes before removing from mold. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Pour glaze over cooled cake and decorate with candied lemon.

For the Candied Lemon:

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 lemon thinly sliced and seeded

In a small saucepan combine sugar and water and simmer a few minutes until sugar is dissolved. Add lemon slices and continue to simmer for 25 minutes. Remove lemon slices from syrup and place them on a piece of parchment paper to dry.

For the Glaze

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix together sugar and lemon juice until dissolved completely and pour over cake.

Enjoy!

Martha.