Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar
Although I often find myself baking desserts for dozens of people, such as my family or our local FDNY friends, sometimes you just want a little treat. I spent a year scaling down some of my favorite cake recipes. I hope they will become yours, too. Try the Every-Day Chocolate Cake, Cranberry Orange Cake, Cheesecake with Cherry Sauce, Chocolate Chip Madeleines, or my favorite, babkas, with four different fillings. Then go back in the kitchen to make an adorable Gumdrop Cake, Pear Cake, or a small batch of Cupcakes. Happy baking!
Enter the Giveaway of: Sweet Little Cakes from Mrs. Zabar's Bakeshop: Perfect Desserts for Sharing and Classic Zabar's Basket on Instagram (Beginning on Sunday, 10/08 - check back then!) You can also enter by emailing [email protected].
Recipe excerpted with permission from Sweet Little Cakes from Mrs. Zabar's Bakeshop: Perfect Desserts for Sharing by Tracey Zabar (Rizzoli).
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Lemon Cake
This pretty cake has the bright flavor of lemon. • makes one 6 - inch round cake ( serves 2 to 4 )
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
Lemon Glaze, recipe follows
Edible flower petals, for decorating
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the sides of a 6-inch round baking pan, place a circle of parchment in the bottom of the pan, and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the lemon zest, and granulated and brown sugars. Add the egg, cream, and vanilla and mix to incorporate. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix just until combined. Scrape into the prepared pan and bake until lightly browned on the edges, about 25 minutes. Cool in the
pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the hot pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Pour the glaze on top of the cake in 3 additions, leaving about 10 minutes in between for the glaze to dry out a bit and set. If you don’t, the glaze will puddle on the platter. Decorate the perimeter of the top of the cake with flower petals.
Lemon Glaze
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and add the zest. Whisk in enough lemon juice to make a very thick glaze with no lumps.
