Recipe: A Modestly-Sized Cake with Lemon, Walnuts, and Chocolate Chunks
A couple weeks ago I asked you what kind of cake I should make in a new cake pan from IKEA. Well, we had a couple guests over Saturday night, and I had a chance to use the pan for the first time. Here’s the recipe: a simple, modestly-sized cake that took literally 5 minutes to whip up in the mixer.
I based this on the basic yellow cake recipe that Susie shared in this post. She mentioned that the crumb of this cake seemed a little coarse, so I added a bit of cream to make it softer. I also threw in handfuls of some cupboard staples I had on hand: lemon zest, walnuts, and chopped chocolate. There was just enough batter to make a shallow, modestly-sized cake in my new IKEA pan, and this amount will also fit well in a regular 9-inch layer cake pan.
The result was a simple, sweet, and deliciously-textured cake! It was actually better the next day, when the lemon flavor really bloomed. It was nutty, chocolately, and lemony, with a wonderfully crisp and melting outer edge. It didn’t anything more than a dusting of powdered sugar.
A Modestly-Sized Cake with Lemon, Walnuts, and Chocolate Chunks
1 9-inch cake layer
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cream
2 lemons, zested
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cup chopped chocolate
Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan with baking spray of butter.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until soft and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and continue beating until well combined. Mix in the cream. Stir in the lemon zest, walnuts, and chocolate, and spread in the baking pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Related: Why We Love: Single Layer Cakes
(Images: Faith Durand)