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I am quite fond of lemony desserts, and this recipe satisfies my craving! Please note that the baking pan must have sides at least 2 inches tall!
LEMON CUSTARD CAKE
■ 4 eggs, separated
■ 3/4 cup flour
■ 3/4 cup sugar
■ 2 cups milk, divided
■ 4 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
■ zest from 1 lemon
■ juice from 1 lemon
■ powdered sugar for dusting
Line a 8×8 cake pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Whisk flour, sugar, egg yolks, butter, lemon juice, zest and 1/2 cup milk until well combined. Then slowly whisk in remaining milk.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold about one third of the egg whites into batter, mix well, add another third, mixing well. Add remaining egg white, mixing well. Pour into the cake pan.
Bake for 45 minutes until the top is light golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for at least one hour. Carefully remove from pan, place on serving plate. Dust the top with some powdered sugar.
Serve warm or chilled. For a nice presentation, top with fresh fruit such as strawberries or blueberries. For extra lemon flavor, try topping with lemon curd. I have not tried this, but it would be good topped with cream cheese frosting. If you are like me, and want to make this extra lemony, add more fresh grated lemon zest. Do not add more lemon juice.
Did you know that during the Renaissance, lemons were quite rare, and were considered a luxury. Giving a gift of lemons was considered to be a highly prestigious gift. In the 1700s, sailors kept lemons on board to combat scurvy.
Here is a bit of trivia that will surprise most people: lemons are technically berries. And unlike most dense fruits, lemons float in water due to their dimpled rinds. Lemon trees bloom and produce fruit all year, and one tree can produce up to 500 pounds of lemons in one year.
Here is another trivia bit, due to the lemon’s citric acid, it can generate electricity! If you insert zinc and copper into a lemon, it creates a small electric current. However, you would need about 500 lemons wired up to power a simple flashlight bulb. Okay kids, this could be your next science fair project!
If you have a recipe to share, or a funny story about a kitchen mishap, please send to [email protected] or mail to Mascoutah Herald, PO Box C, Mascoutah IL 62258. Thanks and Happy Cooking!
