Limoncello-Lemon Upside Down Cake

Your Daily Dose of Vitamin C in a Cake!

Lemons are every where right now, on the trees, in stores, in cocktails, and on baking blogs.  This recipe comes from two sources: Nestle® and A Girl and Her Fork, a fellow Sactown blogger.  I used the basis for the cake from the Nestle® pound cake recipe and the upside down part from inspiration from AGAHF's recent post for Meyer Lemon Upside Down Cake.  This cake was moist and lemony.  I liked the punch of the Limoncello which added a depth of flavor to the lemons on the top.  This was my go-to breakfast all week. 



Thanks to my friends, Melanie, for forwarding the lemon pound cake recipe, to Dotty for supplying these lovely home-grown lemons, and to Ally at A Girl and Her Fork for the added inspiration--Much thanks, ladies!!!

But, first, let's discover Limoncello...We first saw Limoncello on BIWB in Jacqueline's amazing and now infamous, Lemon Drop Cupcakes.  Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur produced mainly in Southern Italy.  It is produced from the zest of Femminello St. Teresa lemons.  Lemon zest, or peels without the pith, are steeped in grain alcohol until the oil is released.  This yellow liquid of pure golden lemon is then mixed with simple syrup.  Limoncello is traditionally served chilled as an after dinner digetivo.   I also read something about the Amalfi Coast having a great limoncello served in chilled ceramic glasses.  I say, all the more reason to become Italian AND visit the Amalfi Coast!   

Lovely lemony Limoncello!  If you'd like to make your own, I found this limoncello recipe by Giada De Laurentiis.  She's Italian, so, hey, why not go to the source!! 

Making my own booze, well, that just might have to happen...  ;-)

d' Italia.  How bad can that be? 

Step-by-Step

Cream the butter and brown sugar and sprinkle in the bottom of the prepared pan. 

Lay the lemon slices over the mixture, overlapping slices to make fit.  Sprinkle with Limoncello.

While the white chocolate chips are cooling slightly, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in the lemon peel and melted chips. On low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture alternately with lemon juice/Limoncello mixture and then the buttermilk, begin and end with the flour.  I always finish the last bit with my spatula.  I don't know, this just makes me feel better...Your batter will be thick and billowy. 

Pour into the prepared pan over the lemon slices.  Bake as directed, of course.  :-)

Right out-o-the-oven, isn't she a beaut? 

Let cool as directed and cross your fingers that THIS doesn't happen!  Now, wait...wait for it, wait for it...

I HATE my Bundt Pan!!!!! 

And, yes, I had to scrape out some of the lemon slices, sad but true.  Okay, to be honest with you all, I wasn't sure this would work, and duh, it didn't.  I wanted to make something for you that wasn't in my boring tube pan.  I admit it, I wanted something really showy.  My friend, Susan at My Mother's Apron Strings has amazing results with her Bundt pan.  Someday, I will have a wonderful Bundt pan like Susan's...Someday...

This is a prettier shot of the top.  Looks really bad, I know, but it was sooooooo gooooood.  If you love lemons, you will love this cake.  Trust me.  Pretty plate, though, huh?  :)

Limoncello-Lemon Upside Down Cake

Adapted from Nestle® Toll House® recipe for Zesty Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients

Topping

1/3 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2-3 lemons, sliced to 1/8 inch (as best you can) and remove the seeds

2 tbsp Limoncello (Italian lemon liqueur)

Cake

1 cup white chocolate chips

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs

3 to 4 tablespoons grated lemon peel, (about 3 medium lemons)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup Limoncello

3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan or tube pan; I used cooking spray but won’t next time…

For the topping

Cream the butter and brown sugar and sprinkle in the bottom of the prepared pan.  Lay lemon slices over the mixture, overlapping slices to make fit.  Sprinkle with Limoncello.  Set aside.

For the cake

Melt the white chocolate chips, uncovered, in a microwave-safe bowl on 70% power for 1 minute.  Stir.  The chips may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10 second intervals, stirring just until chips are melted. Cool slightly, but don’t let it get too cool or it will harden.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  In a measuring cup, mix the lemon juice with the Limoncello.  In a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until creamy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the lemon peel and melted chips. On low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture alternately with lemon juice/Limoncello mixture and then the buttermilk, begin and end with the flour. Pour into the prepared pan over the lemon slices.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-20 minutes.

Optional:  Combine 1 cup powdered sugar and 3 tbsp lemon juice in small bowl.  Make holes in the cake with a wooden skewer.  Pour half of lemon glaze over the warm cake. Let stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto a plate. Make holes in the top of the cake and pour the remaining glaze over the cake. Cool completely before serving.  I didn’t do this but it looked pretty…I bet you could even use more Limoncello!  Oh, yeah...

Every mother loves her child, no matter how beautiful or plain...

Well, this Limoncello cake on looks alone

was well loved by its mother!

If you want to make your own Limoncello,

 this is one of many YouTube videos. 

I picked the Italian one, of course.