The exact origin of lemon cake is unknown. It is probably derived from the pound cake, which was first baked in England around 1700. A pound of each ingredient was used to make a simple, heavy cake to feed large groups of people.
How Lemon Cake is Made
A lemon cake can be made with either lemon zest or juice, sometimes both. When making the cake, have all ingredients at room temperature before starting. The creaming method of mixing is commonly used when baking lemon cake.
Base formulation
Ingredient
Baker’s % (based on flour weight)
All-purpose flour
100.0
Sugar (refined, granulated)
70.0 (low ratio) –120.0 (high-ratio)
Shortening / butter
40.0–100.0
Salt
2.0–3.0
Whole eggs
40.0–110.0
Baking powder
1.0–3.0*
Liquid milk
Variable
Lemon juice
Variable
Lemon zest
About 3 lemons per loaf formula
*For chemical leavening purposes. Actual amount depends on the acidity created by the addition of lemon juice.
Adjustments to the base formulation should be made for various product specifications and target markets. Sugar, total liquids, fat, baking powder and other minor ingredients can be added only if proper formula balancing is exercised.
Guidelines for balancing lemon cake formulas:
Amount of sugar should excess that of flour if longer shelf-life and better flavor are expected
Amount of eggs should exceed that of fat (liquid whole eggs = fat x 1.1)
Total liquids = eggs + milk (if used) = sugar
As the sugar level increases, fat level should decrease and egg level should increase. This to prevent excessive tenderness of the crumb structure that could lead to poor tolerance during product handling and transport
Processing
Ingredients scaling
Mixing (creaming method): Target batter temperature is 68–78°F (20–26°C) and target specific gravity is 0.7–0.8.
Depositing:
Baking: Bake at 320°F (160°C) for about 60 minutes until fully cooked or to an internal temperature of 204°F (95°C) at sea level.
Deppaning: Depan while the cake is still warm.
Glazing (optional): Decorate with glaze while the product is still warm.
Cooling: Cool product to loaf internal temperature of 95–105°F (35–40°C) before slicing and packaging
Icing (optional): Decorate with icing once the product has cooled.
Slicing
Packaging or serving
Application
Baking soda might need to be added to counteract or neutralize the extra acidity created by lemon juice in formula. Lemon juice naturally contains citric acid which quickly reacts with the base present in the baking powder producing CO2 and sodium citrate. This may lead to undesirable flavors and poor crust color due to lower pH of the product after baking.
With the creaming method, fat (usually butter) and sugar are mixed. Then, eggs are added. Lastly, dry ingredients are sifted in. Lemon zest is usually added alongside eggs. Lemon juice should be added at the final stage of mixing once flour has been incorporated into the batter.
All ingredients can be mixed together at the same time, but the cake will not be as high in volume, fluffy and tender. Either way, mix until the batter is smooth and runny.
References
Manay, N. Shakuntala., and M. Shadaksharaswamy. Foods: Facts and Principles. New Delhi: New Age International, 1995.
Very basic ingredients including a base of creamed butter + sugar, eggs, lemon, milk, and flour. We left out the brown sugar and replaced with more granulated sugar. No rhyme or reason here—just didn't feel like reaching for both types of sugar this time. Between the cake and frosting, you'll need 2-3 lemons.
Baking can be broken into three stages: expansion, setting and browning. As the batter temperature rises, the gases in the air cells expand the stretchy gluten from the flour, then the chemical leavening agents release carbon dioxide.
Most cakes begin with creaming butter and sugar together. Butter is capable of holding air and the creaming process is when butter traps that air. While baking, that trapped air expands and produces a fluffy cake. No properly creamed butter = no air = no fluffiness.
This lemon cake is incredibly moist and packed full of lemon flavor. Top with a lemon cream cheese frosting or a classic lemon buttercream frosting to finish it off. Add raspberries, strawberries, or lemon custard between the layers for an extra touch.
Too much air and your cake will collapse because it simply can't hold onto all that air. Overbeating can add too much additional air and/or large air bubbles which the cake can't support, causing it to collapse in the oven.
The expanding bubbles of gas push the batter up and out, causing the cake to expand. The moisture in the batter evaporates due to the heat, and the cake's structure solidifies as the lattice network of gluten strands dry out and solidify. The end result? A beautifully light and fluffy piece of cake!
Add the softened butter and dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix the butter and flour together until it resembles sandy crumbs. Add the wet ingredients and any eggs to the cake batter. Mix until the ingredients are thoroughly combined, then beat until smooth.
In general, there are three major stages in the baking process: expansion of the dough, drying of the surface, and crust browning. These can be subdivided into the following stages (in the order of temperature increase): Formation and expansion of gases (oven spring).
Baking cake is a chemical change. Baking soda and baking powder are key ingredients of cake. The baking soda reacts with the ingredient of the cake to produce bubbles of CO2 gas that get trapped in the batter. The gas bubbles expand in the heat of the oven and rise up as a fluffy cake.
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