I cannot continue without paying special tribute to the doyenne of...well, of too many areas to list here. I just want to take a moment to express my admiration and my gratitude for Martha Stewart's phoenix-like resurrection from the securities fraud and insider dealing charges, for her strength and determination in surviving the harshness of both the prison sentence and the press, and for the significant contribution that her body of work represents.
Here then is my take on Martha's recipe, made in my little angel cake mold: a fitting tribute to one of our culinary greats. I halved these ingredients for my small mold.
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
grated rind of 2 lemons
glaze: 1/3 cup limoncello*, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/ cup sugar
*purchase this delicious lemon liqueur from southern Italy at any good liquor store, or at Wegmans if you are lucky enough to be on the East Coast near one
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9" cake pan. (If you are using an intricate mold be sure to do this very thoroughly.)
Cream butter and sugar for 5 full minutes (no shirking - treat it as a workout if you don't have a Kitchen Aid). Beat in eggs, one at a time. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt. Add to butter mixture alternating with milk. Stir in lemon rind. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes before turning onto a cooling rack. For an intricate mold leave 15 minutes, give a sharp tap, then unmold.
Stir glaze ingredients together until the sugar dissolves. Brush on while cake is still warm.
Other recipes suggest hiding a whole lemon in the center of the cake, but I think that's a surprise too many. Stick with Martha.
