Lemon Cake

               Ever since I celebrated my birthday with a bakery bought lemon cake, I was itching to bake it at home. To get the right fresh citric flavor, I knew I needed to use fresh ingredients, the star of recipes, lemons; juice and peel. Being a vegetarian, I was trying a recipe without eggs. So here is my version of lemon cake i.e. egg-less.

 Ingredients:

1. All Purpose Flour - 1 and 1/2 Cup
2. Lemon Juice - 1 TBSP
3. Lemon Zest - 1 TBSP
4. Butter - 1/2 Cup
5. Yogurt - 4 TBSP
6. Sugar - 1 Cup
7. Milk - 3/4 Cup
8. Baking Powder - 1 and 3/4 TSP
9. Vanilla Extract - 2 TSP

Ingredients for Lemon Icing:

1. Lemon Juice - 1 TBSP
2. Sugar - 1 Cup
3. Butter - 1/4 Cup

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 350 degree Fahrenheit.
2. Bring in all dry ingredients in cake mixer.

3. Add one wet ingredients at a time from yogurt, milk, melted butter and as you mix add milk slowly. One you have a consistency in the batter, add lemon juice and zest. In a greased round 9" pan, pour the batter and using spatula even out the surface.

4. Bake for 35 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the middle to do the check if cake is completely baked.

5. Cool it down on wired surface. Once cooled, may be in 35-40 min, turn in upside down gently pat on the bottom to place the cake on the plate.

6. Before you can apply icing, let the cake completely cool down. Say another hour or so. Then only apply icing. For icing, soften the butter and add sugar and lemon juice.  

7. As you whisk the mixture, butter will melt. If not, warm up the mixture on simmer heat setting for only few second. Remember, to not cook the mixture. 

8. Gently pour the icing on the cake, if needed use spatula to even it.

9. To add a bit of decoration, I have marinated peel of lemon and a couple of slices lemon in sugar one a day. 

10. Right before, serving place the slices and peel on the top of the cake.

11. The cake will make 10 slices.