Lemon Cake

Day before yesterday we returned all tired, from the two days trip to Smoky Mountain. Hiking along a half mile trail to reach the highest mountain in Smoky Mountain National Park left my knees shaking in pain. Sudden spurt of exercise makes every joint of your body sore which otherwise is accustomed only to sedentary life style. I have taken an oath that I would do workouts regularly without miss every day from now on.

There on the day we started the trip, I packed tiffin full of lemon cake slices and relished them on the way. It truly added to the enjoyment of our trip. The strong fascinating flavour of lemon combined with the slight sour taste of the frosting makes it a compact treat to satisfy a palate.

Ingredients:                                        Cooking time: 1 hr 30 minutes approx. ü  2 cups all-purpose flour ü  1 1/2 cups granulated sugar ü  1 package (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding mix ü  4 eggs ü  1 cup buttermilk ü  1 cup salted butter, softened ü  1 tsp baking soda ü  1 1/2 tsp baking powder ü  1/2 tsp lemon extract ü  2 tbsp grated lemon peel ü  1/4 cup lemon juice Frosting: ü  2 cups confectioners' sugar ü  1/2 cup white unsalted butter ü  1 tsp vanilla extract ü  1/4 cup fresh lemon juice Method: 1) In a mixing bowl, beat the wet ingredients together - eggs, butter, buttermilk, lemon extract, lemon peel and lemon juice. 2) In a separate bowl, toss the dry ingredients together - lemon pudding mix, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and baking soda. 3) Now gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir till no speck of flour remains visible. 4) Preheat the oven at 350° F/ 180° C. 5) Grease a baking pan with butter and flour. Transfer the cake batter into the baking pan and bake the cake for about 45 minutes till a toothpick inserted at the centre comes out clean. 6) Bring the cake down to room temperature and loose it on to a plate. 7) Using a hand blender, whisk the ingredients for frosting together. When it comes to a nice creamy consistency, squeeze that into a frosting tube and apply your creative sense in drawing designs as suits your fancy on the cake. 8) Serve at room temperature.