Lemon Balm Cake Food

LEMON BALM BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour one 6-cup or two 3-cup bundt pans.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Cream butter, lemon balm, and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs and vanilla, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add flour mixture in three additions, alternately with buttermilk in two additions, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not over-mix.
• Pour batter into prepared pan(s).
• If using one 6-cup pan, bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
• If using two 3-cup pans, bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool cake in the pan; 10 minutes for 6-cup or 5 minutes for 3-cup pans. Remove cake from pan(s) and cool completely on a wire rack.
• Dust top with confectioners sugar if desired. You can also garnish with fresh lemon balm leaves.

LEMON TEA CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch-square pan. Cream the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy, using a hand mixer (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time while mixing, and then add the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Add half the flour to the butter mixture and combine. Add the lemon juice and zest, mix, and add the remaining flour, mixing again to combine. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.
• For the glaze: Combine the confectioner's sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix well. Mix until thoroughly incorporated. Pour over the cake.

LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.
• Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
• For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

HERB-INFUSED LEMON-STRAWBERRY LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8 1/2x4 1/2" loaf pan, then line with parchment paper, leaving a 2" overhang on 2 sides.
• Lightly crush herbs with your hands to help release oils, then transfer to a small saucepan. Add 3/4 cup butter and cook over medium heat, swirling pan often, until butter melts, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir 3/4 cup milk, 1 Tbsp. lemon zest, and 1/4 cup lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed (or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), beat eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light in color and doubled in size, 4-5 minutes. Discard herbs from butter, then beat butter into egg mixture until well combined. Add half of dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Beat in milk mixture, then add remaining dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Do not overmix.
• Pour half of batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Top with 3 Tbsp. jam and swirl through batter with a butter knife or chopstick. Pour remaining batter over; smooth top. Repeat swirling process with remaining 3 Tbsp. jam.
• Bake cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 50-60 minutes.
• Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool 20 minutes. Remove cake from pan using parchment overhang and let cool completely.
• Whisk powdered sugar and remaining 1 Tbsp. milk and 1 tsp. lemon zest in a small bowl until smooth. Spoon over top of cake and let drip down sides.
• Do Ahead: Cake can be baked 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, or freeze up to 3 months.

LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Beat together the butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing through.
• Sift in the self-raising flour, then add the lemon zest and mix until well combined.
• Line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) with greaseproof paper, then spoon in the mixture and level the top with a spoon.
• Bake for 45-50 mins until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the lemons juice and caster sugar to make the drizzle.
• Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork, then pour over the drizzle - the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping.
• Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve. Will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

LEMON BALM BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and lemon balm. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in walnuts if desired and lemon zest. Pour into a greased 8x4-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean., In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, water and lemon juice; stir in lemon balm. Spoon over warm bread while still in the pan. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

LEMON BALM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 165 C; grease and flour a 1 1/2 litre cake pan.
• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add lemon juice, stir to combine.
• In another bowl, combine all-purpose flour, potato starch and baking powder; sift the flour mixture onto the butter mixture, stir to combine.
• Add chopped lemon balm, stir to combine.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the cake tests done.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for a while; after inverting the cake, rinse the cake pan, dry it and place back on the cake. Allow the covered cake to cool completely.

OLD-FASHIONED LEMON BALM LEMONADE

Steps:

• Scrub the lemons well. Peel the rind thinly, avoiding the white pithe, and set aside the lemons.
• Place the lemon rind, lemon balm leaves, and the sugar into a small heat-proof pitcher. Pour the boiling water into the pitcher and stir well, crushing the lemon balm leaves to release their flavor. Leave mixture to infuse for about 15 minutes.
• Now, cut the lemons in half and squeeze out the juice. Strain juice into a large glass pitcher, add a few fresh sprigs of lemon balm, and add the cooled, strained syrup. Top up with water or half-water half-ice, and chill until needed.