Vampires Need Not Apply

Today was Day 2 of a conference. Very informative, but boy, oh boy, is it hard for me to sit in a room for 8 hours at a time. I definitely needed a little cooking therapy by the time I got home.

Yesterday, the mailman brought me the March/April edition of Cook's Illustrated, which had an amazing-looking Garlic-Potato Soup. As you might guess, it had was a little different from most potato soups, as it had garlic, and lots of it. It even had garlic three different ways--minced and sauteed, whole heads simmered into the soup until the garlic slipped from the skins, and sliced garlic sauteed in olive oil to make crispy chips (which, by the way, is my new favorite snack).

This was a little time-consuming, but really low maintenance. After sauteing a chopped leek and the minced garlic, chicken broth, spices, and two entire garlic bulbs are added to the pot and left to simmer for 40 minutes. That's plenty of time to chop the two kinds of potatoes (russets for their thickening quality and Red Bliss for their ability to hold shape) and the herbs. Once the potatoes are added to the pot, dinner is only 20 minutes away. An immersion blender allows total control over the final consistency--anywhere from smooth to chunky, as you wish.

Also on tonight's menu was a Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Vanilla Glaze from Stonewall Kitchen Favorites. This was described as a cake for those who "can't bake." The cake was really good, but none of us were crazy about the glaze. It was tart-too tart even for us. It was almost bitter, which would make me think I got pith from the lemon when I zested it. My Microplane has never failed me, though, so I don't think that's it. It could be that I didn't measure the zest and just got too much. I think it's worth a do-over when I'm paying more attention to what I'm doing. In the meantime, I know we're sleeping safe from vampires.

Lemon Cake with Lemon-Vanilla Glaze

Copyright, Stonewall Kitchen Favorites (2006)

For the Cake:

Butter for greasing the pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for greasing the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated zest from 1 large lemon (about 1 tablespoon), or 1 Meyer lemon
1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as safflower oil

For the Glaze:

Grated zest from 2 large lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
Juice from 2 large lemons (about 6 tablespoons), or 4 Meyer lemons
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour the bottom and sides of an 8-inch cake pan and set aside.

To make the cake: Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl, and set aside.

In a large owl, mix the sugar and buttermilk using an electric mixer or whisk. Add the eggs and mix well. Add the vanilla and lemon zest and mix well. Gradually mix in the flour mixture until smooth. Add the oil and mix briefly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

To make the glaze: Mix the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla in a small saucepan, and bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring gently. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer about 4 minutes until smooth and slightly thickened. Set aside.

Remove the cake from the oven and, using a kitchen knife, loosen the sides all around the pan. Top the pan with a large plate and flip the whole thing over to remove the cake from the pan. Invert onto another plate so that the cake is right side up. Brush the top of the hot cake lightly with the glaze. Let cool for 5 minutes. Brush with the glaze again. Let cool for 5 more minutes and then pour the remaining glaze on top of the cake. Cut into thin slices and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.