Lemon Upside-Down Cake
- Thread starter jkath
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ChefJune
Master Chef
yum! 
I bought some Meyer lemons Saturday!
I bought some Meyer lemons Saturday!
robgrave
Assistant Cook
Up to now, I knew nothing about Meyer Lemons. Looks like I should learn more, at least to recognize them when I see them in the market. From this photo, they look at least as much like small oranges as lemons. Accurate?
QSis
Washing Up
Oh, that looks fantastic, jkath!
I've been dying to try meyer lemons, so I'll be looking for them, too! And I'm always glad to have an excuse to use a vanilla bean before it dries out.
Thank you!
Lee
I've been dying to try meyer lemons, so I'll be looking for them, too! And I'm always glad to have an excuse to use a vanilla bean before it dries out.
Thank you!
Lee
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jkath
Hospitality Queen
Here's a photo of the cake:
It was quite tasty, but I need to change it up a bit, for a little lighter cake consistency. Maybe Michael can help with that one!
Robgrave, meyers come in different sizes, but mine are mostly golden color to golden orange at their ripe stage, and they're much larger than regular lemons. If you can ever get some, make sure you use the rind as well, since it's so sweet.
I just went out this morning and picked a few more bags of them. I'm up to 264 picked, and there's at least another 150-200 on the tree.
It was quite tasty, but I need to change it up a bit, for a little lighter cake consistency. Maybe Michael can help with that one!
Robgrave, meyers come in different sizes, but mine are mostly golden color to golden orange at their ripe stage, and they're much larger than regular lemons. If you can ever get some, make sure you use the rind as well, since it's so sweet.
I just went out this morning and picked a few more bags of them. I'm up to 264 picked, and there's at least another 150-200 on the tree.
robgrave
Assistant Cook
What beautiful cake!!! And thank you for the info about Meyer lemons. I don't think I've ever seen them in the produce market here in the Detroit area...then again, I didn't notice Pumello grapefruit until a few months ago, and I'm sure they've been around much longer than that. You see what you're looking for, I guess. I'll be on the lookout for the Meyer variety from now on, and maybe, just maybe give that cake a try. I'm not sure I'm enough of a baker to pull it off, but it sho' nuff do look worth the effort. Bravo!
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jkath
Hospitality Queen
Thanks - (and it's easier than it looks...always a good thing when you're bringing dessert to someone's home)
I think maybe next time it would be fun to use orange slices between the lemons, for a variegated look...then again, the addition of a blood orange would be pretty too....or maybe a lime...!
I think maybe next time it would be fun to use orange slices between the lemons, for a variegated look...then again, the addition of a blood orange would be pretty too....or maybe a lime...!
Hey...wouldn't this be a nice switch with your oranges? And I love the blood orange idea. that would be gorgeous.
jkath said:
Thanks for the vote of confidence jkath - however, I'm really not a cake baker (except for my grandmother's chocolate sheet cake) ... but, "I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!" reading Shirley Corriher's Cookwise ...
From my experiences, upside-down cakes tend to be a little denser - except for the ones the lunch ladies at school used to make from box mixes (Jiffy white or yellow cake mixes) - years ago.
Using the same recipe - you might be able to lighten it up a little by changing the technique in the recipe.
First -make sure your baking powder is not outdated. Then, sift your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) together. You might also try using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour.
The leavening comes primarily from creaming the butter and sugar together - this creates a lot of little air bubbles - and takes about 5 minutes with an electric mixer (the creaming instructions for old totally by hand cakes call for about an hour with the spoon and bowl method). If I remember what Shirley said correctly - the baking powder will not create air bubbles - it will only expand the bubbles that already exist. And, yes, scrape down the bowl frequently.
If you are going to use a vanilla bean - I would split the bean, scrape the seeds out into the milk, and add the bean pods to the milk. Bring this up to a simmer to scald the milk (180ºF) and then remove from the heat and allow to cool. When cool - remove the bean pods, and proceed.
Now, the instructions say to "beat" the mixture as you add the dry ingredients to the wet. I would cut that back to a lower speed to just "mix" the ingredients throughly - once you add the wet and dry ingredients together "beating" (or more especially over beating) will increase the gluten formation - which will increase the density of the cake.
Sorry jkath - I'm working totally from memory here ... I still have not found the boxes my cookery books are in out in the garage after the move ... but, hope this helps or gives you some ideas.
I was really hoping one of our cake bakers would have spoken up by now - but I answered so you wouldn't think I was ignoring you.
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jkath
Hospitality Queen
I knew I could count on you!!!
The baking powder was brand spankin' new, so I don't need to worry about that, however, I love the idea of using Swan's Down flour instead of AP! Great thinking!
I did cream the butter and sugar for what seems like ever (Grandma taught me that one) including the scraping down.
I did leave out the vanilla bean. After I began the recipe, I realized my jar was empty. But I'm sure that wasn't any reason for non-fluffiness. I betcha it was the flour.
As for the beating, I'm of the Alton Brown schooling:
sift dry ingreds always, and then mix them in, by doing it in 3 batches.
After the first, beat slowly, just till the mixture's wet. Then repeat 2 times.
Overbeating is bad, except on a dirty rug.
I'll try the recipe again soon, and make a note of it's consistency here.
Again, thank you so much!!
The baking powder was brand spankin' new, so I don't need to worry about that, however, I love the idea of using Swan's Down flour instead of AP! Great thinking!
I did cream the butter and sugar for what seems like ever (Grandma taught me that one) including the scraping down.
I did leave out the vanilla bean. After I began the recipe, I realized my jar was empty. But I'm sure that wasn't any reason for non-fluffiness. I betcha it was the flour.
As for the beating, I'm of the Alton Brown schooling:
sift dry ingreds always, and then mix them in, by doing it in 3 batches.
After the first, beat slowly, just till the mixture's wet. Then repeat 2 times.
Overbeating is bad, except on a dirty rug.
I'll try the recipe again soon, and make a note of it's consistency here.
Again, thank you so much!!
SierraCook
Master Chef
jkath, the link did not work. Your cake looks absolutely yummy. It made my mouth water.
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jkath
Hospitality Queen
Here it is in readable format
Lemon upside-down cake
4 sm.lemons (about 4oz. each)
1¼ sticks butter, divided
3/4 c light brown sugar
1½ c flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 vanilla bean, split
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
½ c. milk
Slice lemons to make 30 1/8" slices. Then grate 1 tsp. peel from another lemon. Set aside.
Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in a 10" skillet. Brush sides of skillet with a little of the melted butter. Add the brown sugar, stir till moistened & spread into an even layer. Arrange the lemon slices, slightly overlapping, to cover the bottom of the skillet. Set aside.
Heat oven to 350. Combine the flour, baking powder & salt in a bowl; set aside.
Cut the remaining 6 Tbsp butter into a mixing bowl. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean with the point of a knife onto the butter. Beat the butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until creamy. Add sugar & grated lemon peel & beat till light & fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.
Add ½ the flour mixture and beat until blended. Add milk & beat till combined. Add remaining flour mixture; beat till blended.
Spread batter over the lemons in the skillet to cover evenly. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden and the center tests done. Let the cake stand 5 minutes, then invert the skillet onto a platter. To serve, slice into wedges with a sharp knife.
Lemon upside-down cake
4 sm.lemons (about 4oz. each)
1¼ sticks butter, divided
3/4 c light brown sugar
1½ c flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 vanilla bean, split
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
½ c. milk
Slice lemons to make 30 1/8" slices. Then grate 1 tsp. peel from another lemon. Set aside.
Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in a 10" skillet. Brush sides of skillet with a little of the melted butter. Add the brown sugar, stir till moistened & spread into an even layer. Arrange the lemon slices, slightly overlapping, to cover the bottom of the skillet. Set aside.
Heat oven to 350. Combine the flour, baking powder & salt in a bowl; set aside.
Cut the remaining 6 Tbsp butter into a mixing bowl. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean with the point of a knife onto the butter. Beat the butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until creamy. Add sugar & grated lemon peel & beat till light & fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.
Add ½ the flour mixture and beat until blended. Add milk & beat till combined. Add remaining flour mixture; beat till blended.
Spread batter over the lemons in the skillet to cover evenly. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden and the center tests done. Let the cake stand 5 minutes, then invert the skillet onto a platter. To serve, slice into wedges with a sharp knife.
I can't wait until I find the boxes with my cookbooks!
OK jkath - the thing about scalding the milk - 86 that idea. I was able to find some references to it and Shirley Corriher and apparently it's something to do with yeast leavened breads. Wish I could find my copy of Cookwise to read what she actually said ....
It sounds like you did everything else the right way ....
About the only variable here would be the flour. Shirley discusses the differences in flour in Cookwise - how AP flour from one part of the country, or from comapny to company, can be the difference between cake flour to bread flour!
OK jkath - the thing about scalding the milk - 86 that idea. I was able to find some references to it and Shirley Corriher and apparently it's something to do with yeast leavened breads. Wish I could find my copy of Cookwise to read what she actually said ....
It sounds like you did everything else the right way ....
About the only variable here would be the flour. Shirley discusses the differences in flour in Cookwise - how AP flour from one part of the country, or from comapny to company, can be the difference between cake flour to bread flour!
QSis
Washing Up
I made the cake last night, but used brown sugar, since that's what I had. I used meyer lemons for the first time, and I was THRILLED with their flavor! I can't wait to try something else with them now, maybe jkath's pudding cake.
As for the upside down cake, I liked the texture, but I really wanted more lemon flavor inside the cake, rather than concentrated so heavily on the top, with the slices.
It was very easy to bake and flip out, using the cast iron pan!
Thanks for posting it, jkath!
Lee
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As for the upside down cake, I liked the texture, but I really wanted more lemon flavor inside the cake, rather than concentrated so heavily on the top, with the slices.
It was very easy to bake and flip out, using the cast iron pan!
Thanks for posting it, jkath!
Lee
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jkath
Hospitality Queen
How pretty! I'm guessing you meant dark brown rather than light brown right? I imagine the flavor was even sweeter on top - yum! Aren't meyers great? I just can't get over how smooth and sweet their rind is.
I think I may try it again this weekend using the swans down. I'll see how that goes with the texture. I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Lee!
I think I may try it again this weekend using the swans down. I'll see how that goes with the texture. I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Lee!
Hi all. Newbie here. QSis turned me on to this site and I'm drooling my way around for the first time today. Hey QSis - where did you get the Meyer lemons in the Boston area?
BTW - QSis visits us once a year or so for some food and fun. She's smoked up melt-in-your mouth BBQ (the ABT's are addictive), assembled an antipasto fit for an elite Italian wedding, baked up orgasmic chocolate brownies.... then there's the crabapple jelly, green tomato relish, gourmet Italian olives.... the list goes on.
BTW - QSis visits us once a year or so for some food and fun. She's smoked up melt-in-your mouth BBQ (the ABT's are addictive), assembled an antipasto fit for an elite Italian wedding, baked up orgasmic chocolate brownies.... then there's the crabapple jelly, green tomato relish, gourmet Italian olives.... the list goes on.
QSis
Washing Up
Heyyyyyyyyyyyy Jan! Welcome to DC, Foodie Heaven! You will get, and give, a lot of great ideas from/to this forum!
My brother got meyer lemons in a four-pack from Trader Joe's. I heard that Whole Foods sells them, too. I have another 4-pack to have fun with! They have an orangey flavor, but are just about as sour as lemons.
Thanks for all the kind words, Jan!
jkath, yes, I meant dark brown sugar. The topping was very sweet, but the lemon slices were quite sour. Nice contrast.
Lee
My brother got meyer lemons in a four-pack from Trader Joe's. I heard that Whole Foods sells them, too. I have another 4-pack to have fun with! They have an orangey flavor, but are just about as sour as lemons.
Thanks for all the kind words, Jan!
jkath, yes, I meant dark brown sugar. The topping was very sweet, but the lemon slices were quite sour. Nice contrast.
Lee
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