Moroccan Lemon Cake

I tried this recipe out for the tea shop and it's VERY good (we're always testing out items that pair well with tea).  This one pairs well with a fruity green tea such as our Orange Blossom green tea.

A Moroccan style cake uses oil instead of butter because it was developed during a time when butter was expensive and/or hard to get.  Traditionally, soup bowls and tea cups were used to measure out the ingredients.


Preparation: 10 minutes
Baking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour (I used 1 cup AP flour and 1 cup WW pastry flour)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice *I liked the version I made using 2.5 lemons
Zest from 1- 2 lemons
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt or tube pan

WIth an electric mixer or by hand, beat together the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until thick.  Gradually beat in the oil.

Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt, and then the milk.  Beat until smooth, and then mix in the lemon juice, zest and vanilla.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until the cake tests done. (mine took an additional 5-10 minutes)

Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack 7-10 minutes. Loosen the cake from the sides with a spatula and then turn the cake out on the rack for cooling.


Glazes:  Traditionally this is served plain or with a very simple glaze.  I used a lemon glaze for one half of the cake and a marmalade glaze for the other half.  I then topped it with toasted pecans because toasted pecans go with anything.

Marmalade Glaze: heat 1/4 cup marmalade with 1 teaspoon of water

Lemon Glaze 2

1/3 cup lemon juice
2 cups confectinoers' sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 Tablespoon water

Glaze: In a medium bowl, combine lemon juice and confectioners' sugar. Beat in the melted butter and 1 tablespoon water. Poke holes in the top of the cake and pour glaze over.