basic baking
Eileen Rodriguez | ’20-’21 Director of Publicity
As I’m sure many of you can relate, the sudden influx of flexibility due to the lockdown has given all of us a tremendous amount of free time to develop new skills and pick up new hobbies. Personally, I began baking! The following are two of my go-to recipes, as they are simple and easy to make, and they create the most salivating desserts. Lemon Cake: Ingredients - 2 sticks of room temperature butter (½ pound) • • 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 4 room temperature eggs • • 1/3 cup of lemon zest (6-8 lemons) 3 cups flour • • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • • 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice • • 3/4 cup room temperature buttermilk To make your own buttermilk simply add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or ◦ lemon juice to a cup of milk and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • Extra - • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar Extra 3 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice • Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then grease/flour a loaf pan or line the bottom with parchment paper. 2. Use an electric mixer to cream the sticks of butter and 2 cups of sugar and after a couple minutes it should turn light and fluffy. 3. Then add eggs to that mixture 1 by 1, and then add the lemon zest, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 4. Grab another bowl and add 1/4 cup of lemon juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. 5. Take a large bowl and add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture, and continue to alternate. 6. Slowly pour the mixture into 1 or 2 pans and bake for around 45 minutes to an hour until a cake tester comes out clean. 7. While the cake is in the oven, add 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of lemon juice to saucepan and let the sugar dissolve 8. Once the cake is ready pour the lemon syrup over them, and let them cool. Optional Glaze 1. Use a whisk to mix the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl. Once the cake has cooled, pour the glaze over the tops of the cake/cakes.
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