Serves: 12
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup tightly-ish packed lemon zest (about 4 large lemons)
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup neutral olive oil – not extra virgin (i use filippo berio)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 yolks
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup crème fraiche (you can sub sour cream)
For the glaze
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 5 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 13x9x2-inch pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and the zest and using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until fully incorporated. Add the extracts and oil and whisk. Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, whisking between each addition. Add the juice and whisk again; and then the crème fraiche, whisking a final time to incorporate—don’t be afraid to whisk relatively vigorously throughout all of this.
- Add the dry ingredients all at once, and using a rubber spatula, very gently fold the dry into the wet.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 33 minutes, rotating at the half way point, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a moist crumb or two.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack and let the cake cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert the cake right side up on to the rack, and rest it in a baking sheet with sides.
- To make the glaze, place the confectioners’ sugar and the lemon juice in a large bowl. whisk vigorously until smooth.
- Gently pour the glaze over the cake, using an offset spatula to spread the glaze, if it pools, and let the cake cool until room temperature. (fyi: My grandmother's recipe recommends poking the cake all over with a toothpick, so that the glaze seeps into the cake. I have done this, but it results in a pock-marked cake. the choice is yours). The cake is super moist and will keep tightly covered at room temp for 3 to 5 days. This cake is probably one of those that tastes even better on day two, but i wouldn't know . . .
