A Lemon Cake that, Thank Goodness, Uses Lots of Lemons

From our lemon tree, we have more lemons that we know what to do with. But there's a catch. We don't have those lovely genetically modified perfectly lemon-shaped lemons, we have these cool evil-looking lemons. You may ask, how can lemons look evil? Well, look:

couldn't that lemon eat your heart and steal your children...

That being said, evil-lemons make incredible and photogenic cakes.

Lemon Cake

Adapted from Ina Garten's Orange Cake, but made with lemons. 

makes  2 loaf cakes (or one bundt like me!)

Ingredients

8 oz or 2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature

2 1/2 cups sugar

4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons) I used four but thats because I think my lemons are huge and they have loads of really thick skin. 

3 cups) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup plus 3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup  buttermilk, at room temperature If you don't have buttermilk*

1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract

2 cups (240 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8 1/2-by-4 1/4-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pans, and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Or butter and flour a bundt pan. 

Cream butter and 2 cups sugar in a large bowl with a whisk until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and lemon zest.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to butter and sugar mixture. Don't over-beat  Divide batter evenly between pans, smooth tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan, and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves.

When cakes are done, let them cool 10 minutes. Invert them onto a rack set over a tray, and spoon lemon syrup over cakes. Let cakes cool completely.

For glaze, combine confectioners’ sugar and remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cakes, and allow glaze to drizzle down the sides.

Eat!!

*If you don't have buttermilk, DO NOT FEAR!!

simply mix some milk and yogurt until buttermilk-like consistency. For this recipe, I would mix about half a cup of yogurt and a fourth cup of milk. If your yogurt is not as thick as mine, add a little less milk and more yogurt.