The Best Lemon Cake Ever!

That's a pretty bold claim, I know.  But take my word for it, this cake ranks
right up there with the best lemon cake ever.  I've made it for birthdays,
reunions, church dinners and special meals at home.  People love it!  When
the cake is devoured, even the crumbs are swiped off the plate.  It's really that
good.  I made it Saturday for our Sunday meal and I couldn't hide it well
enough to keep my family out of it.  It was ok.  We had plenty for Sunday
even after all the taste testings on Saturday.

Because the batter includes cornmeal (yep, you heard me right), it turns out
a little denser than a normal cake.  It's kind of like a pound cake.  No frosting,
but an excellent sweet/tart glaze covers the whole thing and lends a nice
crunch when you bite into it.  I think the glaze is what really makes the cake.

So here's how you make it.
Start off mixing your dry ingredients which include cornmeal, all purpose
flour,

salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Whisk all those ingredients together.

Zest fresh lemons

and then juice them.

Set that aside while you beat the butter and sugar together

until it's nice and fluffy.

Add the juice and zest.  See how that tablespoon is overflowing with zest.

That's going to make it especially good.  Don't even think of using bottled

lemon juice or dried zest.  It will lead to a disappointing cake.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.

Now we add the flour mixture

alternately with the buttermilk

beginning and ending with flour.  Scrape the bowl as needed to make 

sure everything is well blended.  Pour it into a well greased and floured

bundt pan.  That probably bears repeating.  Pour into a well greased and 

floured bundt pan.  It's truly disheartening to have half your cake stay in

the pan when you turn it out to cool.  

It doesn't look like I have floured this pan, but I used the baking spray with 

flour and it doesn't show as much.  I also finally invested in a good bundt

pan with a nonstick finish and that seems to have solved my sticking

problems.  Bake for about an hour.  Before taking cake out of the oven, 

in a small bowl, mix up sugar and lemon juice to make a glaze.

And the moment of truth...

I hold my breath just a little, until I hear the thump of the cake releasing 

from the pan.  And...

ta-dah!!  Now, isn't that just the prettiest thing?  I love a bundt cake,

when it works!

Brush the glaze all over the warm cake.  The sugar won't be completely

dissolved.  That's okay.  You want to see visible sugar crystals on the 

cake after it's dried.  It makes the cake look as though it has shiny glitter

on it and it gives it that great crunch.  You might think this is too much

glaze for the cake.  It's not.  Just keep brushing it on there until you use

every last drop of that lemony goodness.

So, there you have it.  The recipe for the best lemon cake ever.  Give it a try

and let me know what you think.  It's perfect for spring.

Lemon Cornmeal Cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. each baking soda and salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 T. grated lemon zest

1/4 cup lemon juice

4 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt, stirred to loosen

Sugar Glaze:

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  You'll need a 10 cup decorative tube

pan or bundt pan coated with baking spray.  In medium bowl, whisk

together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and soda and salt.

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice with mixer

on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one a time until

blended.  With mixer on low, alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk

until batter is smooth.  Scrape into prepared pan.  Level top with spatula.

Bake 55 to 65 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in cake comes out 

clean.  Cool cake in pan on wire rack 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sugar glaze.  Whisk glaze in a small bowl just until

combined.  Hold your breath while you invert cake from pan onto rack;

Breathe.  Then brush glaze all over the hot cake.  Cool completely and 

transfer to a serving plate.  Enjoy!