Lemon Brunch Cake

I first posted this recipe about three years ago but I felt it was time to do a redux as this lemony cake would be a perfect addition to an Easter brunch.  Perfect for any occasion -  any time of year, actually!  The reason I say brunch cake is this cake has the dense texture of a 'muffin' - very moist and crumbly.

It also has the most luxurious lemon flavor as it is soaked in fresh lemon juice hot from the oven.  It stays amazingly moist 3-4 days after baking.  My husband keeps asking me when I'm going to make it again. He loves a slice after breakfast.

A shower of powdered sugar and some fresh berries is all it needs, and, perhaps a cup of tea or mimosa. I used my new Bavaria bundt pan from Nordic Ware.  I love their bake ware and that is a completely unsolicited comment! Given a good spritz of baking spray with flour, cakes always come out beautifully.

It's been a busy time here with more to come! We celebrated the 3rd birthday of our youngest grandson two weeks ago followed by my birthday this past week.  Next week, it will be my hubby's birthday, then Easter, followed by our oldest daughter's birthday a little over a week later.  Fun times!

My sweetheart took me to my favorite French restaurants for my birthday where I enjoy quail for the first time "Cailles Farcies avec Truffe Noire".  I felt like I was in my favorite foodie movie "Babette's Feast" :-)

Soon it will be April and even more reason to celebrate :)

Lemon Brunch Cake

Adapted from lke's Kitchen Printable Recipe Note:  If you use a bundt pan for this recipe, you will find that the batter only fills up the pan by about 1/2 way or so.  That's okay. This is a smaller (shorter) cake.  3 eggs Zest of 2 lemons 14 tablespoons (200 gr) unsalted butter (softened at room temperature) 1-1/4 cups (250 gr) granulated sugar 1 cup (125 gr) unbleached all-purpose flour 1 cup (125 gr) Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice Flour - or substitute corn starch 2 teaspoons baking powder Lemon juice from 2 lemons (about 1/2 cup). 4-5 tablespoons powdered sugar Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or spray with baking spray with flour such as Baker's Joy brand. In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with lemon zest for about 30 seconds on medium speed. Add sugar, continue beating until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until combined. In a small bowl, combine the flour, rice flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture and mix until it is incorporated and you have a smooth batter. Put the cake in a cold oven, then turn the oven on to 325 degrees. Bake for about one hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (this will depend on the size of the pan you use to be sure to do a toothpick check at least 15 minutes earlier). When done, place a cooling rack upside down over the top of the cake pan and carefully flip over using oven mitts. Place the cooling rack over a large, rimmed baking sheet. Add the lemon juice to the powdered sugar a little at a time so no lumps form and whisk together. Drizzle over the hot cake. Once the cake is cool, you can sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with fresh berries and enjoy! This cake keeps well, covered with plastic wrap for at least three days.

Oeuff Mollet and Lemon Brunch Cake

I was contacted by Eggland's Best Eggs and asked if they could sponsor a brunch using Eggland's Best Eggs eggs to spread the news about heart health during "Heart Health Month" in February. 

Eggland’s Best eggs contain more than 2 times the heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids than ordinary eggs, 2 times more Vitamin D and 10 times more Vitamin E, a vitamin associated with reducing the risk of heart disease.  I love eggs and am so glad they have regained their health grade! 

One of the highlights of my brunch was this breaded, soft boiled egg over frisee salad with mushrooms and truffle oil!

This salad is on the menu at my favorite French restaurant here in Milwaukee. Whenever I'm lucky enough to dine there I always order it.  It's so delicious and I was thrilled when I found a video showing how to prepare it!  A version of the popular French salad, Frisee et Lardons, this one gets it's earthiness from mushrooms rather than bacon and also from a nice drizzle of truffle oil.

The egg is briefly boiled in its shell, peeled, coated with panko crumbs and then fried to a crispy, crunchy outer goodness while keeping the center soft enough to help 'dress' the greens when broken.  Oh my! 

In this recipe, the frissee is briefly sauteed along with the mushrooms which softens and flavors it deliciously.   The crispy coating on the egg, the mushrooms, and the drizzle of truffle oil make this a delicious and unique salad (and one that I dream about!). Recipe below.

The finale to my brunch was this exceptionally delicious Lemon Breakfast Cake.

It isn't often that a recipe makes me want to do a handspring (if I could do handspring, that is). This cake has the consistency of a muffin - dense and almost chewy and comes to you by way of Ilke's Kitchen .  Thank you, Ilke, I am so grateful I found your blog and this recipe. 

I'm not a big fan of overly-sweet sweets so I love that this cake is delicious just by itself without any 'dressing up'. If you want to make it pretty for company, just a light sprinkle of powdered sugar is all it needs.

Here are the recipes - Enjoy (and enjoy your eggs!).  

Oeuff Moleet (Breaded, Soft Boiled Egg over Frisee with Mushrooms and Truffle Oil)

Adapted from This Recipe
Printable Recipe

Serves 4 people

5 eggs, extra large
1 lb crimini mushrooms, washed and sliced thin
8 oz frisee (curly endive) lettuce, washed and spun
1 tsp chives, minced
1 cup Japanese (panko) breadcrumbs, ground fine
1 oz sherry vinegar
2 oz extra virgin olive oil
6 oz butter, unsalted
to taste sea salt
1 oz black or white truffle oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying *See note for alternative to deep frying below.
4 slices brioche or baguette (optional)

Put the oil into a deep pot and heat to about 350 degrees. *See note below for alternative to deep frying.

Bring a covered pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

Fill a medium bowl with ice water.

Place four eggs into the boiling water, cover and cook for exactly 5 minutes and 45 seconds. Remove the eggs and submerge into the bowl of ice water. This will stop the eggs from cooking any further, resulting in eggs that have cooked whites and raw yolks.

While the eggs are cooling, take the remaining raw egg and crack into a small bowl. Add a teaspoon of water and salt to taste, whisk together.

Place the breadcrumbs into a separate bowl.

Start to peel the eggs carefully, placing them on a paper towel to drain some of the water.

Begin breading the eggs by taking them one at a time and placing first into the breadcrumbs, then place into the egg wash, then back into the breadcrumbs. Place the eggs in the refrigerator until needed.

Place a medium-sized sauté pan over high heat, add the butter, melt, add the mushrooms and sauté. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sauté until golden brown. Add the chives and half of the frisee, vinegar and olive oil. Stir until frissee is warmed.

Put the remaining half of frisee into a medium sized mixing bowl. Pour the mushrooms/frisee mixture into the bowl and toss together.

Fry the eggs in the oil for about 45 seconds.

Divide the salad into four salad bowls, top with a fried egg. Drizzle truffle oil over the egg and then season with the sea salt. Serve with toasted brioche or baguette.

*Note: You could use a soft poached egg and sprinkle toasted panko crumbs over the top of the salad rather than deep frying the egg, if desired.

Lemon Brunch Cake

Adapted from Lemon Cake by Ilke's Kitchen
Printable Recipe

3 eggs
Zest from 2 lemons
200 gr (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
250 gr (9 oz or 1-1/4 cups) sugar
125 gr (4-1/2 oz or 1 cup) unbleached all purpose flour
125 gr (4-1/2 oz or 1 cup) Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Lemon juice from 2 lemons (about 1/2 cup).  I used Meyer Lemons which are in season right now.
4-5 tablespoons powdered sugar

Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line with a parchment paper and place on a baking sheet. I decided to use a 9" tube springform pan which I buttered and then sprayed with Baker's Joy (great for good cake release).

In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with lemon zest for about 30 seconds on medium speed. Add sugar, continue beating until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until combined. 

In a small bowl, combine the flour, rice flour and baking powder.

Add the flour mixture and mix until it is incorporated and you have a smooth batter.

Put the cake in a cold oven, then turn the oven on to 325 degrees. Bake for about one hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  I turned my cake over onto a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet right away after taking it out of the oven. 

Add the lemon juice to the powdered sugar a little at a time so no lumps form and whisk together. Pour over the hot cake. Once the cake is cool, you can sprinkle with powdered sugar, if you like.