We’re still harvesting Meyer Lemons, and now it’s time to try a cake. I’ve noticed that Meyer Lemons are available in the grocery stores right now, also. This recipe has more of a European flair (I come by that honestly!). If you like desserts that aren’t too sweet, and have a bit of texture, this is a delicious cake. It’s one layer, so it’s more manageable for us.
I combined a couple of recipes I found, and you could actually make this as an upside down cake. Neither one of us are crazy about cooked fruit on the top of a cake, so I decided to just use the butter and brown sugar. The addition of the juice made this into a really moist and yummy dessert.
Meyer Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, softened, divided
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- Zest of 2 large Meyer lemons
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup almonds, processed finely (optional)
- 3/4 cup fine cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
- 1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice*
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°.
- Spray inside of a 9-in. springform pan or regular single layer cake pan with cooking-oil spray. Snugly line pan with a 12-in. circle of parchment paper, pressing pleats flat. Spray parchment with oil. Set aside.
- Bring 1/4 cup butter and the brown sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Pour into lined pan and spread evenly.
- *I used juice instead of making it like an upside down cake. If you want lemon slices on the top, when the cake is done, thinly slice 2 lemons, remove and discard seeds. Set one lemon slice in center of butter mixture in pan. Arrange more slices in overlapping circles to fill pan.
- Beat remaining 1/2 cup butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest in a large bowl with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well, after each addition.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, processed almonds, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine milk, baking soda, vanilla, almond extract, and lemon juice.
- Add about a third of flour mixture to butter mixture and blend on low speed; scrape inside of bowl. Blend in half of milk mixture. Repeat to mix in remaining ingredients, ending with flour mixture. Pour batter into pan. Spread evenly.
- Bake until cake springs back in center when lightly pressed, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pan on a rack at least 2 hours. Run a knife around the edge, between parchment and pan. Invert cake onto a plate. Remove parchment.
- I used a regular single layer cake pan, and didn't line it with parchment (of course). When I inverted the pan, the brown sugar butter stayed in the pan - no problem, I scraped it out and it looks like streusel topping!
Sounds like a perfect cake to have when friends come over