It didn't take much to discover the favourite food of Sansa Stark, and I would be remiss if I didn't include my version of her beloved lemon cakes to sweeten up our GOT finale feast table. A simple, one-bowl yogurt cake batter, flavoured with fresh lemon zest, topped with lemon-scented chantilly cream, fresh lemon, and lavender buds, these are sure to steal the show and satisfy's everyone's sweet tooth. Really and truly though, I'd make these for any occasion!
Makes 1, 9x13-inch cake
Ingredients
Cake
| 1 cup | sugar |
| 2 cups | all-purpose flour |
| 1 tsp | baking powder |
| 1/2 tsp | baking soda |
| 1/4 tsp | sea salt |
| 1 cup | plain yogurt, full-fat (not Greek style) |
| 3/4 cup | canola oil |
| 1 | lemon, zest and juice |
| 2 | large eggs |
| 1 1/2 tsp | vanilla |
Topping
| 1 cup | whipping cream |
| 1/4 tsp | vanilla |
| 1/4 cup | sugar (ideally icing sugar, but no biggie) |
| 1/2 tsp | lemon zest |
| fresh lemon triangles, to garnish | |
| lavender buds, culinary grade, to garnish |
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan, and line with parchment leaving a 2-inch overhang on two opposite sides. Butter the parchment as well.
- To a large mixing bowl add sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the yogurt, oil, lemon juice and zest, eggs and vanilla, and use the whisk to stir until combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Once baked, cool cake in the pan atop a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then use the parchment overhang to carefully lift cake out and cool completely on the rack. Once cooled transfer cake to a large cutting board and cut into 2-inch squares.
- For the lemon whipped cream, add the cream, vanilla and powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until firm. Gently fold in the lemon zest and transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped tip. Note: A plastic food storage bag works just as well, either fitted with the piping tip, or simply with a corner neatly snipped off. Pipe rosettes of lemon cream onto each square of cake. Garnish each with a small triangle of fresh lemon and a sprinkle of lavender buds, transfer to a platter and serve. Second note: Cake can be prepared up to 1 day in advance, but do slice and garnish only right before serving.
