Recipe courtesy of Heather Hardcastle, from her just-released cookbook
The Flour Craft Bakery & Café Cookbook
This simple drizzle cake is a favorite of anyone who loves lemon desserts. It has a good, puckery, lemon kick and a buttery finish. The texture is irresistible, both dense and rich, like a proper pound cake should be. The lemon drizzle makes the cake super moist and gives it the ability to last for several days in the fridge, so it’s perfect for making well ahead. It’s excellent for dessert served with berries and unsweetened whipped cream or great on its own with an afternoon cup of tea.
Ingredients
- ½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- ½ cup millet flour
- 1⁄3 cup tapioca starch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup white sugar
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix on medium speed for 1–2 minutes to combine.
With the mixer running on low speed, add eggs, 1 at a time, waiting until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice between additions. Increase speed to medium and mix for 2–3 minutes, until the eggs are fully incorporated into the mixture. It should look smooth and be a pale yellow color.
Add brown rice flour, millet flour, tapioca starch, salt, xanthan gum and baking powder to the bowl and mix on low speed to combine. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, making sure to incorporate any bits of unmixed butter and sugar.
With the machine running on low, slowly pour in the milk. Increase mixer speed to high and continue mixing for 2 minutes, until the batter is very light in color, smooth and fluffy.
Spray loaf pan with cooking spray. Empty the batter into the pan, smoothing out the top with a spatula and taking care to spread the mixture evenly to the sides of the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15–20 minutes, until the cake springs back when gently pushed with your finger and is a medium-gold color around the edges.
While the cake is baking, make the lemon syrup: Heat the lemon juice in a small saucepan or in microwave until very hot, but not boiling. Whisk in the sugar until it is fully dissolved and no granules remain. Dissolving the sugar in the hot lemon juice will allow it to fully soak into the cake without crystallizing on the top. I like to make the syrup while the cake is baking but you can make the syrup well ahead of time, keep it in the fridge, and reheat it before pouring it onto the cake. If you do so, remember to whisk again to fully dissolve any sugar that may have re-crystallized.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool on a rack for a few minutes in the pan then gently stab it all over the top with a fork or a skewer, going about 2 inches deep. Pour the lemon drizzle over the surface of the cake, allowing it to soak into the top and run down the sides, between the cake and the pan. Let the cake rest about 30 minutes longer in the pan, then unmold it onto a baking sheet or cooling rack to cool completely. Allowing the cake to cool in the pan almost entirely will give time for the lemon drizzle to absorb completely into the cake and it will release more easily from the pan when you’re ready to unmold it.
Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, the cake keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer up to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature overnight before serving.
About this recipe
© The Flour Craft Bakery & Cafe Cookbook by Heather Hardcastle (Rizzoli New York, 2021). Photographs by Erin Scott. Food styling by Lillian Kang.
