Just thinking about the tartness of the lemons in this Lemon Tea Cake will make you salivate. The sugar and butter even out the flavors, culminating in a rich, fine velvety crumb cake, soaked in the most delicious sweet lemony syrup. Simple enough to eat on a weeknight, yet fancy enough to be served at your next party. And oh so good with a cup of tea!
Lemon Tea Cake Tips and Tools:
- The Microplane Grater/Zester is a "great" tool for zesting and grating fluffy mounds of citrus fruits, chocolate and hard cheese. It has a long handle to hold firmly and the file is long and extremely sharp. Use caution as grated fingers don't belong in your desserts. This is one gadget that belongs in your kitchen collection. It sells for around $12.00 (US dollars) and can be found at any kitchen store such as Bed, Bath & Beyond.
- A high-speed mixer ~ i.e. KitchenAid Mixer ~ will make the job quick and easy.
- Use decorative disposable baking pans. Wrap in colored cellophane and tie with a pretty ribbon. They freeze well and make great hostess gifts.
Lemon Tea Cake Recipe
- 2 cups butter (1 pound), softened
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp lemon peel, grated fine
- 8 large eggs
- 5 cups unbleached white flour
- 4 tsp baking powder powder
- 2 cups milk
Directions: How To Make Lemon Tea Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray 4) 9 x 5 inch loaf pans with Pam or similar spray shortening and set aside.
- Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Using a high-speed mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, salt and lemon peel until creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape bowl often.
- Add eggs, beating well. Scrape again.
- Add flour mixture, beating and scraping.
- Take bowl off mixer and pour in the milk. Fold all ingredients with a spatula until mixed well.
- Pour into prepared pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until tops are lightly browned and knife comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, start making the lemon syrup. Keep syrup warm. It can be reheated later.
- Cool 5 minutes in the pans.
- Prick the cakes all over with a fork or skewer.
Lemon Syrup Recipe:
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
Directions:
- Combine sugar and lemon juice in small saucepan and cook over medium heat just until it comes to a boil, being careful not to burn.
- The sugar needs to be completely dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Keep syrup warm until cakes are ready to be brushed and soaked.
- Reheat syrup if necessary. It is important to pour hot syrup over the cakes, otherwise it won't get into all the nooks and crannies.
Final Directions:
- Pour and brush equal amounts of lemon syrup over the tops of the tea cakes making sure that you get all surfaces coated. Let some drip down into the bottom of the pans.
- Leave the cakes in the pans if they are decorative and disposable, or carefully pop them back out immediately otherwise they will stick.
- Let cool on wire racks completely before wrapping.
- These cakes freeze well. Enjoy!
- Yields 4 large loaves.
Make all these mini quick dessert breads for gift baskets!
Zucchini Nut Bread Recipe - Add chocolate chips, make cupcakes, add some frosting and this extra moist quick bread will soon become a holiday favorite!
Vegan Nut Bread Recipes- Perfect quick breads for the vegetarian in the family.
Cranberry Nut Bread Recipe - Moist cranberry nut bread recipe with fresh Ocean Spray cranberries & walnuts.
Pumpkin Pound Cake Recipe - Made with sugar and spice and everything nice, and makes the perfect Thanksgiving dessert bread for the buffet table!
Homemade Drunken Fruitcake - Classic buttery fruitcake soaked in brandy and rum.
Lemon Tea Cake Variations:
- Add chopped nuts to the batter and sprinkle some on top before baking.
- Poppy seeds can be added to the batter and sprinkled on top for Lemon poppy seed cake.
- Bake in a bundt pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar and edible pansies.
Donna Diegel - Donna Diegel is an experienced baker and published author with more than 25 years of experience in the food industry.
