This crazy weather is making me bake. First it was the snow and now it’s the rain. Sheesh, like serious flooding rain, for days now. The meadow I normally look out upon is now a lake with a swift moving current. Kind of crazy. Is it just me or are we seeing more “weather” all over the United States this year. I feel like its been a crazy winter.
Do you bake when the weather turns nasty? I can’t help myself. And it’s not possible to eat everything I whip up, so I have to find homes for all my goodies. It’s usually not too hard. When you love to bake, it becomes an urge that must be fulfilled or an itch that must be scratched.
What’s nice about this recipe is it makes three cakes. It’s perfect if you are having a crowd over or just need to serve a large group. Also, it’s not too sweet and is light and airy. This is not a dense pound cake by any means. But it is that perfect afternoon pick-me-up cake. And who doesn’t need that?
These are 8 x 4 loaf pans…not 8-1/2 x 4-1/2….it makes a big difference. Make sure to use the right size.
Lemon anything always brightens my day…
Buttermilk Lemon-Scented Cake Loaves
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3-1/4 cups (13 oz) cake flour, more for dusting
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1-1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature
Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- zest of one lemon
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three 8 x 4 loaf pans by spraying with cooking spray and dusting with flour. Place on a baking sheet.
- Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter, sugar and lemon zest until fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl once they have all been added. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Add flour mixture at low speed, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined, do not over mix.
- Divide batter evenly into three pans (I weigh mine to make sure they are the same size.) and smooth tops. Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let loaves cool on a rack 20 minutes before turning them out and placing right side up.
- While the cakes cool, place all ingredients for the glaze in a bowl and mix until thick, but pourable. Drizzle over cakes. I added a little more lemon zest to the top for looks, but that is optional.
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