Cherry-Lemon Pecan Cake

You can find the recipe I modeled this cafe after Lemon cake found on Martha Stewart's sit, with my own addition of reconstituted cherries in a glaze and pecans. Now remember I did not frost the cake, only glazed it, and found brushing it on was the best trick I have ever learned; it went on as smoothly and very evenly as it could cooling I might add, and soaked in well. Frosting would be too much for this cake.

We also found letting it sit for a whole 24 hours before cutting it, well I had a nibble to see how it tasted, but the following night everyone found it to be wonderful. And not too sweet.

I recommend reading through these instructions before starting...


Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pans (I used 50/50 whole wheat flour mix- bakers blend or garam flour which is called Chappati flour in Indian stories)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 cups sugar (I cut sugar by 1 cup and used it all in recipe)
• 2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks (don't be afraid, this will be very much like whipping egg whites, but it all works out in the end.)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk (did not have this so added lemon juice to whole milk and let it sit til curdles)
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded (didn't use this, nor the frosting recipe you will see on site. I made a cherry glaze instead)

Dried Cherry Mixture for Icing

 1/2 cup dried cherries (frozen will work, but thaw)
1/3 cup cherry wine or cherry liquor

Mix together and let sit overnight or about an hour (this mixture works best if warmed up a bit in microwaved or on stove; the heat will help reconstitute cherries- microwave for about 46 seconds on high- stove, warm liquid and add dried cherries, remove from heat quickly.)

Glaze

1 cup powder sugar
1/2 cup dried cherries reconstituted for an hour in cherry wine

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. (Once all of batter is in bundt pan I added some cherries drained from liquid, and pecans to the top of batter; batter will bake up and around these ingredients.)
3. Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, 32 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack.
4. (I skipped this step and made up #5) While cakes are baking, bring remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add lemon slices and simmer 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lemon slices to a waxed-paper-lined plate. Stir remaining 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice into syrup.
5. Using 1 cup powder sugar, 1/2 cup remaining cherries and cherry wine mixing them until a glaze is created. If you find too runny, add a teaspoonful of more powder sugar until thickens a bit more, but not too runny.
6. Using a toothpick, poke holes in warm cakes on rack. Brush with lemon syrup (in this case the glaze). Let cool completely. (I also skipped this part, as there was no need for frosting) Prepare frosting, substituting 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice for vanilla extract. Frost cooled cakes and top with candied lemon slices.