The Main Menu: May is the month of celebrations and this Lemon Orange Cake is the perfect choice

By JAN MAIN

May is the month of celebrations – Mother’s Day, Queen Victoria’s Birthday, graduations, the first trip to the cottage, not to mention, birthdays, showers, weddings and anniversaries. All of these require a cake to help in the festivities.

This lemon orange cake is the chosen one. Moist, buttery and rich with the tang of citrus and a luscious drizzle to keep it moist, it can be decorated with berries of the season and is outrageously alluring served with a dollop of the lemon cream (recipe follows).

The cake is big enough to serve a crowd, transports well and can be made ahead and frozen – in fact, transported frozen to a destination makes it taste as if it was just baked for that special occasion. Happy Spring!

Lemon Orange Cake with Citrus Glaze

Thoroughly spray the tube pan with baking spray to ensure easy release of the cake from the baking pan. Decorate the cake with thinly sliced half- moon orange slices marinated in orange liqueur; serve with seasonal berries and the lemon cream. Divine!

1 cup (250 mL)                               soft butter

2 cups (500 mL)                              granulated sugar

1 tbsp (15 mL)                                 each, tightly packed grated orange and lemon zest

4                                                          large eggs

3 cups (750 mL)                              all – purpose, unbleached flour

1 tbsp (25 mL)                                 baking powder

½ tsp (2 mL)                                     salt

½ cup (125 mL)                               each, plain yogurt and milk

2 tbsp (25 mL)                                 fresh lemon juice

Lemon Orange Glaze

½ cup (125 mL)                               each, orange juice and lemon juice

1 cup (250 mL)                               granulated sugar

2 tbsp (25 mL)                                 quality orange liqueur

Pre-heat oven to 350 F (180 C). Spray 9 inch (23 cm) tube pan with baking spray.

In a large mixing bowl using electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar, lemon and orange zest until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time until fluffy.

In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. In measuring cup, stir together yogurt, milk and lemon juice. Beat dry ingredients alternately with liquid ingredients beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Pour batter into prepared pan; spread batter to level. Bake cake in centre of oven for approximately 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on cooling rack.

Glaze: In saucepan over medium high heat, stir together orange and lemon juice, sugar and rind. Bring to boil; reduce heat and cook uncovered stirring about 5 minutes.

Cool. Stir in liqueur. Using toothpick, poke holes into cake, drizzle glaze over cake. Cake serves 10-12.

Lemon Cream

This delicious sauce is sublime served with the cake or on its own as a mousse or frozen for an ice-cream.

1/2 cup (125 ml)                            fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons)

1 cup (250 mL)                               granulated sugar

1 tbsp (15 mL)                                 grated lemon rind

2                                                          eggs

1 cup (250 mL)                               whipping cream

In a medium saucepan whisk together lemon juice, sugar, rind and eggs until smooth. Cook over medium –high heat whisking continually until sauce is bubbling and thickened, 3-5 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and scrape into small mixing bowl. Place over a bowl of ice-cubes to chill quickly.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer with a deep bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold lemon cream (also called lemon curd) into whipped cream until no white streaks show. Spoon into serving bowl; cover and refrigerate to serve as a sauce or freeze to serve as an ice-cream.

 

 

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