When Life Gives You Lemons... Celia Wakefield Makes Oil-Lemon Cake

 Julia Spencer-Fleming: I think a lot of us have been feeling life is handing us lemons these days. But why, really, do we use that poor maligned fruit do mean something you don't want? Who among us doesn't feel a lift in spirits when faced with a bright yellow, sour-tart citrus that's the literal embodiment of sunshine? A lemon in the midst of winter for lemon cookies, a lemon at the height of summer for Gin and Tonics and lemonade - and of course, a lemon in spring, sliced over fresh filet of fish, tossed with green beans, or, as Celia shows us today, as the star of a delicious, show-stopping cake.

 

 

Good morning everyone, it’s such a pleasure to be with you all. Thank you Julia for keeping me on my toes recipe wise.

 

I was on the verge of sleep last night when “Zero to Sixty” went through my mind when I realized what my journey had covered over the past three months. Going from marriage to single life, loosing a companion of sixty plus years if we count dating, takes some adjustment. But in coming to this place  I want to follow on with Julia’s post from last Friday and talk a little about gratitude first. I am grateful beyond words for the love and support that has been lavished on me , the lovely memories shared of Victor and his stories, the cards, texts, calls. When I say I believe I’m blessed, I am sincere. My life has taken a sharp turn but it’s a turn with which I am at peace.

 

I think I’ve mentioned in the past that though I don’t comment every day, I do read JRW every day faithfully. I believe we are all looking for some comfort at home so whether it’s Rhys on research which certainly fits in with my passion, or Debs educating us on tea drinking. Did you hear the faint voices of Rhys and I saying “boiling water, boiling water only please” Then we have Lucy with the Key West Women’s Cookbook and I must get a copy of that. I think it was Hank who asked about china, that is the domestic sort and Hallie with SUMO oranges which brings me to a very special gift. One which I could not appreciate or love more.which brings me back to the important part of today - the recipe.

 

I don’t collect my mail every day. The box is not on the driveway or as in England where the post still comes through the letter box in the front door. No, I need to drive or walk, well drive to my box which is a BIG box, big enough for most of the items I order on line as well as all the junk we receive. There was a package a couple of days ago but not from you know who, a box from a friend, a surprise box, a heavy box. Well with all this great community of Reds and readers, my first thought was someone has sent me a book - YEA, how kind, how thoughtful. 

 

I raced back to the house, attacked the tape and nestled inside were lemons. Yes beautiful lemons, how did they know my favorite color is lemon. Or what would be my choice of fruit in a nice cool glass of Pimms? Or that I have great difficulty in passing a bakers display of lemon bars. Oh blessed lemons. Oh kind friend may your trees be fruitful for ever. While I can’t share the lemons with you to my sorrow, I can give you a great recipe for a lemon olive oil cake. Debs was talking about a cuppa and a slice of olive oil cake from her favorite bakery recently. Do keep supporting the baker but here you can be your own baker.

I can’t remember who originally put this recipe up on the NYT, I think it may be over twenty years old and if you search for it look for orange olive oil cake. But when life gives you lemons as Dorie Greenspan would say ‘bake’. 

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

½ cup medium or finely ground cornmeal - I used Bobs Red Mill cornmeal

1 ½ tsp. salt - I used a 1/2 tsp

½ tsp. Baking soda

½ tsp. Baking powder

1 ⅓ cups extra-virgin olive oil - taste your oil as it’s the star of the cake. I mixed two brands

3 large eggs, separated - at room temperature

1 ½ Tbsp.lemon zest - the original recipe calls for oranges

½ cup sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice - my lemons are large and it took 1 1/2 lemons to get the right amount of juice

1 ¼ cups whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla

 METHOD:

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Use Cooking Spray to spray your 9” round pan and line the inside base with parchment paper,

 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 c sugar,* cornmeal, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk together lightly.

 

(Celia’s recipe hack) add half of the 1/2 c sugar into a small mini processor.

* Carefully remove the zest from a large lemon and add to the processor then tip in the remaining sugar and whirl until the zest is very finely chopped and mixed into the sugar.

 

Separate the eggs and put the yolks in a medium bowl. Add the the olive oil to the egg yolks and whisk until they are combined and emulsified  

Add the egg whites, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest/sugar mix and vanilla and whisk until thoroughly combined.

* If you prefer not to use a mini prep. carefully grate 1 1/2 Tblsp lemon zest and add the remaining 1/2 c of sugar with the dry ingredients before adding the wet ones.

 

Pour the combined liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, whisking until the lumps are gone.  

 

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 1 hour, or until it is golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean. (My cake took 45 minutes and I did cover the top with foil for the final 10 minutes.

(If the cake becomes too brown before it is done cooking, lightly tent it with foil to prevent further browning.) 

 

Allow the cake to cool in its pan for 5 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.

 

Making the Topping - this is where you can use your imagination to serve as is, to ice, to drizzle as I did, to shake some confectioners sugar over with a stencil pattern.

 

I combined 1/4 cups of water with 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a pan and heated it till the sugar had melted then I added lemon slices and cooked them gently for 20 plus minutes. 

I removed the slices from the lemon syrup, reduced the syrup to thicken then added about a 1/4 C of confectioners sugar which I mixed well then drizzled it over the cake and decorated with the cooked lemon pieces. (I might not do the lemon drizzle next time.

 

Amanda Hesser recommended Creme Fraiche or sour cream mixed with a little brown sugar, Sliced Oranges, or lemons.