LEMON POUND CAKE SANS SOUR CREAM…my twist to the cake!

“We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons.”
Alfred E. Newman
Here’s one of our favourite ‘anytime’ cakes…with a tangy, fresh lemon taste and a light crumb. Doesn’t need icing, and is lovely for an evening tea. I’ve worked on the recipe for a while to find a good substitute for sour cream. This cake always gets me rave reviews.

Ingredients:

Butter – ½ cup/100gms
Eggs – 3
Sugar – 1 ¼ cups
Flour – 1 ½ cups
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking Soda – ¼ tsp
Salt – ¼ tsp
Yogurt – 4 tbsp / thick
Cream – 2 tbsp / 25 % fat
Juice of 1 lemon
Rind of 2 lemons
Lemon Extract – 1 tsp
Orange Essence – 1 tsp
Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp

Water – ¼ cup
Sugar – ½ cup
Lemon Juice of 2 lemons
Orange Extract – ½ tsp (optional)

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Grease well and line bottom of 8” ring tin.(Tends to stick otherwise)
  • Sift the dry ingredients together. Keep aside.
  • Mix the yogurt + cream in a small bowl. Keep aside.
  • Beat the butter + sugar well until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in the eggs 1 by 1, scraping the sides down after each addition.
  • Beat in the lemon rind + lemon extract + orange essence + vanilla essence + lemon juice.
  • On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients alternatively with yogurt and cream mix…in 3 goes.
  • If you like, you can mix a deeper yellow colour in 1/3 of the batter to get a marble effect.
  • Put the batter into the tin, alternating with the deeper coloured batter, if using, and level out.
  • Bake for approximately 60 mins, or till the tester comes out clean.
  • Cool in tin on rack for 10 mins, and then turn it out on rack.
  • While the cake is baking, heat the water + sugar + extract and make syrup.
  • Take off heat, and add the lemon juice. Taste, and increase the lemon if desired.
  • Should taste nice and tangy…like a concentrate.
  • Poke the cake gently with a skewer.
  • Pour the warm syrup over the hot cake. Handle cake gently while warm, as it’s quite delicate.

Babushkas peeping out…this one’s for you, Chhoti!!

A Good Cake for Dessert

Almond-Orange Sponge with Chocolate Ganache Icing
the Passionate Baker
This is a much loved combination of almonds, orange and chocolate. The flavours get enhanced while the cake is chilled, and this recipe is a sure winner. I have made this a number of times, and have always received compliments.

Sponge

Preheat oven to 190deg C , reduce to 180deg C after 10 mins of putting the cake in.
Greased lined 7-8″tin; A springform cake tin is always better.
Eggs – 5 (250gms)
Almonds – 100gms (grind in dry grinder with skin; be careful it doesnt get pasty)
Flour – 2 tbs ( almonds + flour= half the weight of the eggs i.e. 125gms )
Baking powder – 1tsp
Salt – 1 pinch
Powdered sugar – 100gms ( less than half the weight of the eggs)
Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp
Orange Extract – 1 tsp
Orange Rind – 1 tsp
Method:
Sift the flour + baking powder + salt + ground almonds 3 times.
– Beat the eggs and sugar well with beater till very thick ribbon falls and holds in place for at least 5 seconds (beat for approx 10mins)
– Add vanilla essence + orange extract + orange rind and beat for 1 min. (Can add some orange food colour to the batter for contrast)
– Gently fold in the sifted flour; mix lightly so that air doesnt escape.
– Turn gently into tin and bake for 30-35mins till done.
– Once done, remove from tin after 5 mins and leave on rack to cool completely. Cut horizontally into 3 layers.

Ganache:
-Put 200ml whipping cream ( 20-30 % fat content) in pan with 150 gms dark choc. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, till chocolate melts. Remove from heat and stir vigorously with hand with 1 tsp vanilla ess to make smooth and remove any lumps.
– Add sugar if required. Leave to cool.

Filling :
Whip 200ml whipping cream (35%fat) with 2 tbs pwdrd sugar +1/2 tsp orange extract until thick and holds peaks.

And finally……..(phew)
Sandwich the cake with cream. Put ganache icing over top and sides. Fill some ganache in piping bag and pipe rossettes etc. Finish with chocolate flakes, scrolls, leaves etc. Chill well before serving. It enhances the flavours through the cake.

Note : Since the sponge is based on the weight of the eggs, you can vary the cake size by increasing or decreasing eggs, and scaling all other ingredients accordingly. The basic sponge can be made a day or 2 in advance and refridgerated until use. Saves a tonne of time! The decorations can also be made in advance ( leaves, scrolls, shavings etc).
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