Spiced Lemon Cake Recipes

LEMON-SPICE VISITING CAKE

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven, and heat it to 350. Butter an 8 1/2-inch loaf pan (Pyrex works well), dust with flour and tap out the excess. (For this cake, bakers' spray isn't as good as butter and flour.) Place on a baking sheet.
• Whisk the 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, cardamom, ginger and salt together.
• Put the sugar in a large bowl, and grate the zest of the lemon(s) over the sugar. Squeeze the lemon(s) to produce 3 tablespoons juice, and set this aside. Using your fingers, rub the sugar and zest together until the mixture is moist and aromatic. One at a time, add the eggs, whisking well after each. Whisk in the juice, followed by the heavy cream. Still using the whisk, gently stir the dry ingredients into the batter in two additions. Stir the vanilla into the melted butter, and then gradually blend the butter into the batter. The batter will be thick and have a beautiful sheen. Scrape it into the loaf pan.
• Bake for 70 to 75 minutes (if the cake looks as if it's getting too dark too quickly, tent it loosely with foil) or until a tester inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a rack, let rest for 5 minutes and then carefully run a blunt knife between the sides of the cake and the pan. Invert onto the rack, and turn over. Glaze now, or cool to room temperature.
• For the glaze: Bring the marmalade and water to a boil. Brush the glaze over the top of the warm cake, and allow to it to set for 2 hours. The glaze will remain slightly tacky.
• When the cake is completely cool, wrap in plastic to store. If it's glazed, wrap loosely on top.

MOIST, TENDER SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a metal or disposable foil 9-by-13-inch pan. Whisk dry ingredients and spices in a large bowl. Mix milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a 2-cup measuring cup.
• Beat softened butter into dry ingredients, first on low, then medium, until mixture forms pebble-sized pieces. Add about 1/3 of the milk mixture and beat on low until smooth. Add remaining milk mixture in two stages; beat on medium speed until batter is just smooth. Add the sugar; beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into cake pan.
• Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the pan perimeter and turn cake onto rack. Let cool.

SPICE CAKE WITH LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• For the spice cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray.
• Cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
• Add the eggs to the creamed butter, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream, alternating with the flour mixture, beginning and ending with the flour and beating until no flour is visible -- don't overbeat.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan; tap the pan on the counter to remove any air pockets. Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool slightly in the pan, 5 to 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack while still warm.
• For the lemon sauce: Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar in the top of a double boiler over medium heat. Stir in the lemon juice, zest and butter. Cook until thickened, whisking often, about 30 minutes.
• Serve the cake warm or room temperature with the lemon sauce.

SPICED LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat butter, granulated sugar, zest, and cardamom with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Reduce speed to medium-low; beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. Pour batter into cake pan.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack. Let cool, top side up. Whisk confectioners' sugar with remaining 3 tablespoons lemon juice until smooth; pour over cooled cake.

SPICY LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a cake pan.
• Beat sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy; add eggs and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Mix lemon zest into creamed butter mixture.
• Sift cake flour into a separate bowl. Add baking powder, salt, and ginger; stir. Beat 1/3 of the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture on low speed until flour mixture is completely incorporated, about 1 minute.
• Stir lemon juice and 2 tablespoons milk into flour-butter mixture; mix on low speed until completely incorporated. Stir the remaining milk and whisky, alternating with the flour mixture, into the flour-butter mixture until batter is well mixed. Scrape batter into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.