Ingredients
- ¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 lemons juice and zest, separated
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup water
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 315°F. Place butter in a large bowl. Using a rubber spatula, mix in flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest until lump free. (Don’t overdo the mixing; mixture should be blended completely but not aerated. It should be a smooth paste that is a little thicker than peanut butter.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, add milk mixture to flour mixture, working it gently into the batter just until smooth and homogenous in texture.
- Pour batter into a 9 x 4½-inch loaf pan, wellgreased with vegetable cooking spray, and bake for 1–1¼ hours, until a skewer poked in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove loaf pan from oven. (Don’t be afraid of a darkish brown color on the top of the cake, as this caramelizing will only impart more flavor.) When pan is cool enough to handle, carefully turn loaf out onto a wire rack that has been positioned on a baking sheet.
- Strain lemon juice into a medium bowl. Whisk in honey and water. Using a brush, paint this syrup onto the top and all sides of the cake while cake is still warm. (The cake should be really drenched with the syrup.)
- When cake is completely cool, slice and serve. Garnish with vanilla ice cream, fresh strawberries, or mascarpone cheese, if you like. (Wrapped in plastic wrap, cake will last at least a week in the refrigerator.)