Lemon Tea Cake

I finally have updated my cooking blog since Tommy boy! To be honest I haven't cooked much since I had him, babies need a lot of attention :-) Enjoy!

Lemon Tea Cake (Recipe from: Susan Peterson)
5-6 Lemons (for juice & zest)

1/2 lb. butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

5 eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup lemon zest

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

Craisins, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease (I use shortening) and flour 2 loaf pans, set aside.
2. Combine butter and sugar in mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time and lemon zest.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside.
5. Combine buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla.
6. Add flour and buttermilk mixture, alternating into mixing bowl starting and ending with the flour. Add chopped craisins if desired and mix.
7. Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
8. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Poke holes in cake with a tooth pick. Drizzle both loaves with half of the sugar syrup (recipe follows). Then invert loaf pans onto a cooling rack over wax paper. Poke holes on the bottom of the loaves and drizzle the remaining half of the sugar syrup.

Sugar Syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1. Combine sugar and lemon juice in pan over low heat until sugar is compeletey dissolved.
2. Poke holes in cakes with a toothpick on both sides.
3. Slowly pour over both sides of the hot cakes.

Lemon Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

3 1/2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice

*I added some of my remaining lemon zest about 1-2 T.

1. Whisk together sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Pour over cooled cakes.