In the early 1900s, USDA agricultural explorer Frank N. Meyer made several trips to Asia collecting new plant species. One of these was a lemon tree which was named in his honor. The Meyer lemon—favored for its less acidic, mild, and juicy flesh—is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, making it a hybrid citrus fruit. Due to the lower acidity level, less sugar may be required when Meyer lemons are used in sweet recipes such as lemon cake or lemonade. Unlike regular lemons, the skin of a Meyer lemon is soft, thin, and edible. Beloved by chefs and home cooks alike, there are countless ways to incorporate the pure lemon flavor of Meyer lemons.
Recipe Servings: 10
+ 24 hours resting
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp breadcrumbs, fine
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt, fine
- 8 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1⅓ cups plus 2 Tbsp sugar, divided
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk, at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp lemon extract
- Zest and juice from 2 meyer lemons
- ½ cup blanched almonds, ground very fine
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease a loaf pan measuring 8½ x 4½ inches using 1 tablespoon of butter. Dust the pan using the breadcrumbs. Tap out any excess crumbs.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set the mixture aside.
- Cream together the melted butter and 1 cup of sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer on low speed for about 1 minute.
- Add the eggs one at a time beating for about 1 minute after each addition or just long enough to incorporate.
- Add the flour mixture and milk in three batches beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating until mixed after each addition.
- Mix in the lemon extract.
- Fold in the lemon zest and ground almonds.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a rack to cool.
- Combine the remaining sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook the mixture while stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Do not let it boil.
- Brush the glaze over the hot cake. Excess liquid may pool along the sides of the pan, but it will absorb as it sits.
- Turn the cake out of the pan once it has absorbed all the liquid. Let it cool upright on a wire rack.
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap once it has completely cooled and let it stand at room temperature for 24 hours before serving.
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