Lemon Slab Cake
Spring has sprung here at sunny Cherbourg! And along with the peonies and gladiolus popping up (and the attendant allergies), there seems to be an occasion to celebrate popping up around every corner. Julia Child famously said, “a party without cake is just a meeting.” I, for one, have attended far too many meetings in my lifetime, but am highly available for more parties. Owning a bakery means I’m often expected to bring the cake, and this Lemon Slab Cake is hands-down the cake I’ll be bringing. She is lighter than air, brighter than the sun, and gone before you know it.
When I started this bakery journey, my son, Jake, was just a baby. The gluten allergy that had intensified throughout my pregnancy with him resulted in a mad dash of recipe experimentation. The results are still enjoyed daily at Cherbourg, and Jake is enjoyed daily by me (and all who know him).
I’ve been honored to make cupcakes for many a class party over the years to suit the various allergies present in today’s classrooms. Our vanilla cake recipe is a classic base recipe. It is moist and delicious, and easily converts to the most amazing lemon cake (definitely my favorite iteration of it.) Feel free to make it with vanilla, for a classic vanilla cake, or brighten it up with the addition of lemon zest and juice. Though gluten-free and nut-free from the start, somewhere along the way I started using rice milk to make it dairy-free, as well. I use olive oil for all of our recipes (the ones that are not butter-based, of course) - a great fat that follows my rule of “simple is almost always better.”
We check our resources on olive oil always, and select a single source Spanish olive oil, but there are many great options out there. In addition, a quick Google search will convince you to bid seed oils goodbye forever. My favorite way to enjoy this cake is topped with freshly-made whipped cream, a skill that, once mastered, you will never go back to the pre-packaged, fabricated variety.
Now, it seems the class parties are coming to an end (personally, not professionally), as that same baby, Jake, prepares to graduate high school. I’m simply blown away by him (and his big sisters, of course). Happy belated Mother’s Day to all you cake-makers, party-throwers, and fellow empty-nesters out there! Remember to take a moment and be proud that you helped get them here. And never fear, they’ll be back, if for nothing else, this magnificent cake!
Be sweet & see you soon,
Geri
*In order to maintain a nut free version of this recipe, please check all of your resources. If they do not list allergens, simply email the company to inquire.
Vanilla/Lemon cake*
yields 1 9×13 0r 22-24 cupcakes
ingredients
Cake:
3 C Cherbourg flour
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 C granulated sugar
¾ C olive oil
¾ C rice milk
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
*for lemon slab cake add 1 Tbsp. lemon zest and 3 Tbsps. lemon juice
Whipped cream:
2 C heavy whipping cream
1/2 C powdered sugar, or to taste
directions for cake
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter and flour metal 9×13 pan and line with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
In separate large bowl, whisk together olive oil, sugar, rice milk, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla or lemon zest & juice.
Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and whisk well.
Pour into prepared pan. Fill pan 2/3rds of the way full. You will have some extra batter to save for cupcakes or whatever you wish.
Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until tested for doneness (the cake will bounce back when gently pressed in the center.) Let cool for 5 minutes and gently loosen the cake from the pan with an off-set spatula or butter knife. Invert onto cooling rack . Flip back onto another rack so that the rounded top of the cake is the top once again. Squeeze the juice of half a fresh lemon evenly over the top of the cake.
Directions for Whipped cream:
Whisk heavy cream at high speed using a stand or handheld mixer (make sure the whisk attachments and bowl are nice and cold.) Mix until the cream starts to firm up. Turn off mixer and add the powdered sugar. Restart mixer on a lower setting and whisk until incorporated. Spoon and spread whipped cream onto the cooled cake with a large off-set spatula. Design with peaks and/or any fetching pattern that you wish. Feel free to add a little lemon zest for whimsy.
