Lemon Butter Cake

A community recipe by TexasBaker

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

Introduction

I invented this cake when I needed a lightly lemony cake for a birthday. The vanilla beans adds a mellow flavor that really makes the cake for me.

Ingredients

Serves: 12

12 ounces unsalted butter
13 ounces sugar
1 lemon zest
1 ounce golden syrup or light corn syrup
4 medium eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
15 ounces buttermilk
13 ounces all-purpose flour
¼ ounce baking powder
¼ ounce salt

Method

Lemon Butter Cake is a community recipe submitted by TexasBaker and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare two 9" cake pans with cooking spray and flour (or Bakers Joy).

In a bowl combine the butter, sugar, golden syrup or light corn syrup, vanilla bean paste, and lemon zest. Mix until combined and slightly lighter in color, but not fluffy.

In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk and eggs.

In a third bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk into the butter, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour

Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center springs back when pressed and the cake comes away from the sides of the pan. Cool for ten minutes in the pans before turning out onto racks to cool completely.

For cupcakes, just dallop the batter 2/3 full into cupcake liners. Bake for 18 minuts, or until golden and springy to the touch.

Additional Information

I mix this cake completely by hand. I suppose you could use a mixer, but every time I do it develops too much air into the batter and the cake ends up with tunnels and large air holes. I find that mixing by hand, and mixing until just combined, results in a cake with a finer crumb.