Want to liven up pretty much any white cake's flavor? A little lemon zest goes a long way!
Adding just a tablespoon of lemon zest can add a subtle zing to most any vanilla, yellow or even angel food cake. And if want a little extra zing to match the colorful insides of this Funfetti cake, try this!
I love lemon's brightness and slight tang. By adding just a little, you are creating a layer of flavor that most tasters won't perceive directly, they'll just note something richer than plain cake.
Here's one more secret little tip: lemon zest absolutely livens up a box of cake mix!
Related: In Praise of Lemon Zest
(Image: Leela Cyd Ross)
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I recently did lemon zest in a sour cream cupcake batter (+ lemon curd filling & meringue frosting). It really does give the flavor of the cake extra depth & I've been dreaming about them since we polished off the last one.....
A microplane does a splendid job of zesting - gets the zest and leaves the pith alone.
This is a great tip. I love lemon zest with chocolate too. Never thought about using it in angel food cake.
A CI tip that has worked for me is to rub together the zest with the granulated sugar used in the recipe. This releases the oils and increases the lemon flavor.
Orange and lime zest, too! I regularly add orange zest to my homemade whole grain waffles to give them a brighter flavor.
Practical question here -- when you zest the lemon/orange, do you have to use the fruit right away, or would it stay good for a while afterward?
Also very good in sugar cookies.
It stays good for a while but the fruit definitely dries out faster with the zest gone from the peel. I always try and use in a day or two.
Thanks, RoseCampion!