Lemon-Fennel-Butter Cake
- 1 1/2 cups AP flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup Turbinado sugar or granulated white sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1/2 cup melted butter, cooled (salted or unsalted according to taste)
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1/4 cup chopped fennel fronds, all stems removed
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter (and flour) a 12" round cake pan. If you like a thicker cake use an 8" or 9" pan and adjust baking time at end.
- In a small mixing bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. rnIn a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and 3/4 cups of sugar until the mixture begins to turn pale in color and thicken slightly. Add melted butter in a steady stream and continue whisking until the emulsion is pale yellow and ribbons form when "dropped/dripped" from the whisk. Mix in lemon juice, zest and fennel fronds reserving 1/2 tsp each of zest and chopped fronds.
- Add the dry ingredients to the eggs, sugar, and butter mixture and mix to incorporate (I like to use a rubber spatula but sticking with your whisk works equally well). The batter should be thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan and smooth the top if necessary with the back of a spatula or spoon. In a small bowl combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar, lemon zest, and fennel fronds by rubbing sugar between your finger tips (it should feel like wet sand and let out a beautiful aroma of lemon and fennel). rnSprinkle sugar mixture over the top of the cake and bake in the middle of the oven until top is golden and springs back when lightly touched. 20-25 minutes for a 12" pan. rnCool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes then turn out and return to rack to cool completely. Glaze if desired (with lemon juice and confectioner's sugar) while still warm. Or eat plain and simple with butter and/or jam.
flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, turbinado sugar, butter, lemon, fennel
Taken from food52.com/recipes/30224-lemon-fennel-butter-cake (may not work)