Happy Mother's Day!

I love any opportunity to celebrate family- birthdays, holidays and of course, Mother's Day. This year I have decided to make one of my family's favorite cakes to celebrate the occasion, but first I want to tell you a little bit about my Mom. 

I think I used this picture before, on her birthday, but I love it.  And she is wearing the tiara she deserves.  She is sweet, beautiful and brave.  She taught me how to be a mom- the importance of truly being there for children and participating in their lives.  Anyway, I'll stop now, before I start crying...

So, back to the cake- I found this recipe in some magazine years ago.  It has been a warm weather staple forever- it tastes like lemonade and is perfect on a warm sunny day with a little bit of vanilla ice cream (and even without). 

East 62nd Street Lemon Cake

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup milk

1 TBSP finely grated lemon peel (from 2 lemons)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan.  

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl. 

In a large bowl beat butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg and scraping sides as necessary. 

On low speed, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, mixing only until blended after each addition.  Stir (do not use the mixer) in the lemon peel. 

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Level the batter by rotating pan briskly from left to right and right to left.  

Bake one hour and 5 to 10 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan for 5-10 minutes, cover with a rack and invert onto the rack.  Remove pan, leaving cake upside down on the rack.  Place the rack over a large peice of parchment paper and prepare Glaze. 

Glaze

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2/3 cup sugar

Mix lemon juice and sugar.  Brush over hot cake.  The cake will absorb the glaze.  Let the cake cool completely before transferring to a cake plate.  

Print Recipe Here: 

So can you guess what I got for Mother's Day? 

That's right! A beautiful new gardenia bush! I'll show more pictures once I get it planted. 

I hope that you are able to spend some time with a special Mom in your life today.  Thanks for stopping by! 

~Cynthia