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.
Thank you, Celia, for sharing this recipe . . . I'm definitely going to make this cake!
ReplyDeleteFrom Celia: You're most welcome Joan, let me know how it turns out. I'm pleased with this one.
DeleteHow timely! We just bought a big pile of lemons at the produce market. My husband is making limoncello with them. He is however, using all the zest for that. I asked what he was going to do with the rest and he said make lemon bars.
ReplyDeleteNever do I see the word “limencello” without thinking of Deborah Crombie and her Garden of Innocents. Elisabeth
DeleteFrom Celia: Great buy Brenda, I recommend you take a couple of those lemons and make the cake so there's something to enjoy while the Limoncello master gets to work.
DeleteWhat a great gift you received Celia.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this recipe, fairly simple. And it seems very good. I’m looking forward to try it.
From Celia: You're most welcome Danielle. Yes the actual making is simple, gathering everything took me a little longer but it was so worth it. Let me know how it goes.
DeleteThank you, Celia and your lemon growing friend, for this wonderful beginning to Sunday. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteFrom Celia: Dear Elisabeth, you're welcome from me and our friend. I hope you get a chance to make it. Do you come across olive oil cakes where you live? Lemons must be plentiful too.
DeleteI do love your Sunday recipe column in Julia's week here, Celia. Thank you for this recipe. And thank you for your opening comments about gratitude; I am grateful to know that you're here every day, as I am, even when we don't comment. Be well. And keep baking!
ReplyDeleteFrom Celia: So very welcome Amanda. Being on JRW every day makes me realize what a great community we are. Thank you working on healthy right now, and I have more baking to do.
DeleteGod bless you for still finding the joy despite the major loss and changes in your life, Celia. You are a true warrior. And thank you for sharing this lovely story as well as your Lemon Cake recipe.
ReplyDeleteFrom Celia: Oh Evelyn, what a truly lovely thing to say, thank you so very much.
DeleteCELIA: Many of us enjoy your Sunday recipe posts.
ReplyDeleteI already have an orange-olive oil cake recipe. It may be the similar one from NYCooking.
But I am happy to try baking it with lemons instead. I havevan abundance of lemons at home since I drink a mug of warm lemon water each morning.
From Celia: Your'e most welcome Grace and great to see you. Yes there's a plethora of olive oil cake recipes and I had at least one which was basically a bar not a cake. I think I had made it with yogurt. I've found I need to be careful with recipes posted on line when I don't know where they started. I love lemon water, in fact anything lemon.
DeleteThank you Celia, the cake looks delicious. I think of my mom, who loved all things lemon, including the color.
ReplyDeleteFrom Celia: Most welcome Gillian, I'm glad to contribute to a good memory of you mom.
DeleteSo glad to see you this morning Celia, to brighten my morning! Lemons are the sunshine fruit, and together (well not together, more alongside) with chocolate, they make my favourite flavours, and a need to try the recipe. First, I have a question on Pimms. When you suggest a tall cool glass of Pimms, is it just Pimms over ice in a crystal glass garnished with lemon, or the lovely concoction that includes muddled cucumber, mint, lemon, and sharp ginger ale – that is how I was introduced to the drink. Both are lovely, and one is such a production, but soooo gooood.
ReplyDeleteI will try your cake, and add the drizzle. (you got me on the drizzle…) I tried this cake one time before – not this recipe, but because as I said, I love lemon. The vote (it was served at a party) was it was too dry, which may be an indicator of my cooking or the recipe. I will retry using your recipe, and the drizzle. Because there are only two of us to eat it, I hope it freezes well. Thanks a lot!
From Celia: Hi back Margo, I agree chocolate and lemons a true marriage. I think I wrote about Pimms a while back but I drink mine with vodka, tonic, cucumber, lemon, mint whatever. The good part of Pimms is it's so adaptable, make it as you enjoy it.
DeleteI also had trouble with a previous olive oil cake but this one is a joy. I was a little afraid that the batter might be too slack but up it baked and is delicious if I say so myself.
Yummy Celia. This makes me remember California and the tree we had in our back yard. I've had lovely conversations with many of the Californians who have been at the Left Coast Crime conference, and then last night I got very sad news that one of my San Francisco first cousins died suddenly at only a year younger than I. Your bright cheery cake fits right in.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear of your gratitudes and that you are finding your way after your life turned. Sending hugs.
Edith, you have my deepest condolences. Too young. On a happier note, how wonderful that you had lovely conversations with many of the Californians who have been at the Left Coast Crime conference. I could not make it this year.
DeleteMy condolences, EDITH. Sad news, indeed.
DeleteFrom Celia: Dear Edith, my deepest condolences, such a shock and such a loss, I can understand with my last years experiences, my love to you and to all the family.
DeleteI'm glad you had a great time at Left Coast, I am considering!! Bouchercom as it's in New Orleans and my younger g'son is at Tulane, but we'll see. This would be part of my new life and I expect to be at Crime Bake this year DV.
From Celia: I have a full day so will be back later to see you all and answer questions. Enjoy the day, it's warming up in Maine and the snow is melting.
DeleteThank you, all, and see you in Dedham, Celia!
DeleteI’m so sorry about your loss, Edith. In my experience, it’s hard to lose someone from our own generation. I’ve lost some cousins, in addition to two of my siblings. Prayers for your whole family.
DeleteDebRo
Condolences for your loss, Edith. Cousins are often closer than siblings, and it's devastating to suddenly lose that connection.
DeleteI’m so sorry to hear of your cousin’s passing, Edith. Hugs. — Pat S
DeleteSo sorry to hear of the loss of your cousin, Edith. xx
DeleteCelia, so thankful to have you share your stories and recipes with us! Interesting cake--cornmeal is an unexpected ingredient. And I could see why this cake might turn out dry if it was overbaked or the proportions of wet to dry were not followed precisely. I too love lemons--my favorite thing to use them for is a light lemon cheesecake for Easter dinner, to herald the arrival of Spring.
ReplyDeleteWhen life gives you lemons, you can usually avoid scurvy.
ReplyDeleteFor that and many other reasons, I love lemons.
Celia, thank you for sharing your recipe today. Always a joy to read your guest posts and comments.
ReplyDeleteThank you Celia for what sounds and looks like a delicious treat! Your original recipe might have been for an orange cake but I think I would prefer the lemon too. Yesterday I picked a largish lemon from my indoor tree and I've been wondering what I will use it for. I also have another in the fridge that I picked a week or so ago. While there are no more lemons on that tree there are blossoms so in a few months' time if all goes well, I'll have more. T
ReplyDeleteJudi, I was just thinking about you, and feeling grateful for your advice on pollinating my juvenile Meyer lemon tree. I'm almost holding my breath about it, but it looks as though I have some tiny lemons starting! Just a couple, but it's very exciting. Thank you again!
DeleteYou are so welcome, Karen! I think about you often and wonder how you are doing with your little tree. Don't worry if sometimes for no reason you can think of, on of the tiny lemons falls off. Eventually one or more will develop into an actual lemon!
DeleteJudi, I missed the advice on pollinating the lemon tree. Would you mind repeating it?
DeleteCelia, what a wonderful picture of your cake. I love the lemon peel decoration. Your post this morning was so beautiful and gives much to think about. I am sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteMy grandson loves lemon curd so I am making him some today, and will see him tomorrow.
Another lover of lemons here--I squeeze a big wedge of lemon into my breakfast hot tea every morning (and add a BIG spoonful of sugar--oh dear). Julia, thanks for inspiring Celia to write for us, and, Celia, thanks for inspiring me to make this wonderful cake the next time I need a guest dessert. It sounds delicious. I'll start with a glaze and then see if it's really needed.
ReplyDeleteDeb Romano
ReplyDeleteCelia,
This sounds yummy! I love anything with lemons. I did a lot more baking when I was younger, and I especially liked making lemon bars. I wish we had lemon trees here!
DebRo
Lovely, Celia! Something fresh and lighter for spring. I've made lemon and blueberry loaf bread, but not a cake.
ReplyDeleteAfter chocolate, and possibly tarragon, lemon is my favorite flavor! Ever since Julia's comments about lemon olive oil cake I've been looking at various recipes, and here you are, Celia, with a time-tested and carefully presented one, tied in a strand of lemon peel. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt's so good to know you are doing well, too. Attitude is everything, and yours is helping you move forward in a healthy way, grieving still, but with gratitude. You are a good example, Celia, dear.
Oh, this is my very favorite kind of cake! I just never knew a good recipe… Thank you so much! Xxxxx
ReplyDeleteQuick question, though… With the lemon sugar mix be liquidy or dry-ish?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recipe and tips, Celia. I have seen similar recipes before but I balk when I read olive oil and cornmeal. In cake? Maybe the addition of beautiful lemons will push me over to try it! I'm so happy to "see" you here once again with Sunday recipes.
ReplyDelete