The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
LEMON-ROSEMARY TEA CAKE
This recipe, inspired by one found in Marion Cunningham’s “The Fannie Farmer Baking Book” (Alfred A. Knopf, 1984), is easy to make and produces a light tea cake with flour at its core, laced with rosemary and lemon. It’s perfect on its own or with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. Feel free to serve it as a light dessert, afternoon snack or warmed for breakfast.
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon finely chopped
rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, plus
more for garnish, if desired 4 tablespoons unsalted butter,
room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 fresh rosemary sprig, for garnish (optional)
Place a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan.
In a small pot, combine the milk, rosemary and lemon zest and heat to a simmer.
Gently cook 2 minutes to infuse, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the soft butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well.
In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the butter mixture, alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the cake pan and bake 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven to cool 10 minutes, then turn out and cool on a cake rack. Serve with freshly whipped cream and garnished with a sprig of fresh rosemary and lemon zest, if desired.
Serves 8.
Per serving: 266 calories (percent of calories from fat, 26), 5 grams protein, 44 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 8 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 46 milligrams cholesterol, 250 milligrams sodium.