August 2005 Archives

ROSE-LEMON GLAZED CAKE

The cake is adapted from a recipe in the marvelous cookbook The California Cook: Casually Elegant Recipes with Exhilarating Taste by Diane Rossen Worthington (Bantam, N.Y., 1994).

CAKE:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs at room temperature

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (I recommend a Microplane grater)

2 teaspoons lemon extract

1 cup sour cream

GLAZE:

2 tablespoons (1 fl oz) rose water (more if desired, just add carefully to avoid a soapy aftertaste and balance with more sugar)

6 tablespoons (3 fl oz) strained fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. Sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder together in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about four minutes. Beat in the eggs, zest and lemon extract, and mix for two minutes.

Reduce the mixer to the lowest speed, add half the flour mixture, and mix until combined. Add half the sour cream, mixing slowly yet constantly, and then add the rest of the flour and sour cream.

Pour the mixture into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cake rack.

Next, make the glaze. Using a wire strainer, sift the powdered sugar into a small non-aluminum bowl. Add the juice and whisk to break up any lumps.

Place the cake on your cake plate (which must have a lip!). While the cake is still warm, using a long skewer (or just a toothpick), poke holes all around the top of the cake, stopping an inch or so shy of the bottom. Spoon-drizzle the syrup over the cake. If you have time, keep re-basting the cake with glaze that pools on the plate.

CANDIED ROSE PETALS

Petals from two organic roses

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

Enough granulated sugar to coat petals (have at least a cup)

Pinch off the bitter, white section at the base of each petal. Whisk egg white and water together. Dip each petal in egg mixture or gently brush both sides each petal. Place petals, convex side down to drain on wax paper.

When drained but still damp, sprinkle both sides with sugar. Shake off excess, place on fresh waxed paper and dry at room temperature for 12 hours. Store in covered container in refrigerator. Good for about a month.