It would be another ordinary cake if it wasn’t the color of the sun. The loaf is painted with a rather bountiful pinch of turmeric that brings out an additional ethereal flavor of something that well may have been savory and come from India. But it’s sweet, it’s addictive, it’s surprisingly delicious. The cake is topped with a bitter-sweet caramelized lemon that gives you a small, refreshing kick.
The recipe is adapted from Alison Roman’s “Nothing Fancy” cookbook. I reduced the amount of sugar, adding more lemon and turmeric to bring out its flavor to the max. Overall, The cake is great, but it’s the caramelized lemon slices shining on the top that I like the most about it. Not everybody will be a fan of them as they’re a bit bitter and sour. Trust me, I was a skeptic too, but it’s those bittersweet lemons that really bring the cake together. Before you write them off completely just give them one try. I’m sure you’ll fall in love with them, just like I did.
Turmeric Cake with Caramelized Lemons
makes one 8.5 x 22 cm (4 x 8 inch)
1 ¾ cups (230g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (200g) sugar + 2 tablespoons
3 tablespoons lemon zest + 2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs
¾ cup (180g) Greek yogurt or sour cream
120 g (4 ½ oz) butter, melted
½ lemon, thinly sliced
1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Lightly butter a loaf tin; line with baking paper.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl. Combine 1 cup sugar with the lemon zest in a medium bowl; rub together with your fingertips until everything smells like lemon.
3. Whisk in the eggs, yogurt, and lemon juice. Add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, just until blended. Stir in the melted butter. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin; top with the sliced lemon and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
4. Bake 50 – 60 minutes, until the lemons are beautifully caramelized and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool before slicing (lemons are difficult to cake when warm).
Tip
If you don’t like turmeric (it doesn’t make sense), reduce the amount to ½ teaspoon, just to give the cake its color.
Share a picture of your dish with me on Instagram tagging #rozkoszny @rozkoszny. Smacznego!
Yours,
Michał
