Festive Lemon Cake Food

LEMON FIESTA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a Bundt pan.
• Cream 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Blend in the lemon peel.
• In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, soda and baking powder. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk to creamed butter mixture. Add lemon extract and raisins.
• Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 50 minutes cool 5 minutes, then turn out onto serving plate. Prick hot cake with skewer or fork and pour on lemon topping.
• Combine 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup butter and water in a saucepan and heat until butter melts. Add lemon juice . Spoon over hot cake.

INCREDIBLE LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 x 4 1/4 x 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans, lining the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.
• Cream, using paddle attachment, butter and 2 C granulated sugar in bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.
• With mixer on medium speed, add eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
• In another bowl, combine 1/4 C lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla.
• Alternately add flour and buttermilk mixtures to batter, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Divide batter evenly between pans, smoothing the tops.
• Bake 45 minutes- 1 hour, until tester comes out clean.
• When cakes are done, cool 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine 1/2 C granulated sugar and 1/2 C lemon juice in small saucepan, cooking over low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Remove cakes from pans and set on wire rack over jelly pan (best to set upside down on rack so that syrup is spooned onto the bottom of the cake as it will absorb better than spooning over the top).
• Spoon lemon syrup over cakes.
• Allow cakes to cool completely.
• Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar and lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with whisk until smooth.
• Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow to drizzle down the sides.
• Garnish with 2 lemon slices and some greens (e. g., Italian parsley or mint leaves), as desired.

LEMON & ELDERFLOWER CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line the base and sides of 3 x 20cm cake tins with baking parchment. In a jug, whisk the eggs, yogurt and milk. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, using an electric hand whisk. When you have a light and fluffy mixture, add the flour, the liquid in the jug and the lemon zest. Mix again until smooth. Divide the cake mixture between the tins, level the surfaces and bake for 40 mins.
• Mix the lemon juice and elderflower cordial. When the cakes are cooked, poke all over the surface with a cocktail stick then spoon the lemon and elderflower syrup over the cakes. Leave to cool in the tins. Once cool, you can wrap in cling film and keep for 3 days before icing.
• To make the icing, beat the butter until smooth with an electric hand whisk. Add half the icing sugar, use a spatula to mash the mixture together (this will help to prevent an icing sugar cloud) then whisk again. Add the remaining icing sugar, cream cheese and lemon zest, mash again, then whisk again until smooth.
• Stack the cakes on a cake stand with plenty of icing between each layer. Pile most of the remaining icing on top, then use a palette knife to spread it across the top and down the sides, covering the cake in swirls (don't worry about it looking too perfect). Add the final bit of icing to the top and use it to cover any patches where the cake is poking through. Decorate with fresh flowers.

LEMON CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Crush the digestive biscuits in a food bag with a rolling pin or in the food processor. Melt the butter in a saucepan, take off heat and stir in the brown sugar and biscuit crumbs.
• Line the base of a 20cm loose bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. Press the biscuit into the bottom of the tin and chill in the fridge while making the topping.
• Beat together the mascarpone, caster sugar, lemon zest and juice, until smooth and creamy. Spread over the base and chill for a couple of hours.