Citrus Bliss Cake Recipe

Summer was the satisfying crunch of a sharp knife cutting through ripe watermelon. It was green citronella spirals burning down and sunscreen squirting hot out of the tube. It was banana pancakes on repeat and the tang of river silt clinging to tanned skin. It was freedom. And youth. And always, lemon.

Lemon water to brush away bad luck.

Lemon in the summer soap.

Lemon bars and lemon scones.

Lemonade and lemon poppyseed dressing.

Lemon squeezed on zucchini picked fresh from the garden and barbequed to perfection.

Marie wasn’t just a bonafide southern cook, she was the family matriarch with what we swore was magic in her touch. Born in 1930, Marie Kathryn Rogers lived through the Great Depression, worked at a cotton gin, and was married to a Ricky Ricardo lookalike with whom she had six children, though only five survived. Originally from Chicache, Oklahoma, she spent many years in both Memphis and Long Beach, ultimately ending up in the foothills of California where she planted what the family named “The Magic Lemon Tree.” Producing fruit year-round, the tree was never so prolific as it was in summer. Following is an real recipe from a fictional novel I’ve written about her life that, just maybe, will bring a little dash of magic to your dinner table.

From GG Marie’s Cookbook

Lemon cake with sticky streusel honey topping and cream cheese frosting

Citrus Bliss Cake

That little piss ant Sadie told me I should change the name of the cake. I told her, nobody cares about what it’s called, they care what it tastes like. I swear half the things I bake these days aren’t fit to eat. Belongs in the garbage. That’s why Sadie’s taken over, and I’m sure she’s right about the name like she is everything else. Anyway, I like to add a dollop or two of blueberry compote between the layers because I think it works nice with the lemons. But little piss ant doesn’t like fruit on her cakes. She also told me I should make it a “naked cake” where you scrape the frosting off the side and that’s where I put my foot down because anybody who wants less frosting doesn’t deserve to be eating my cake.

Now this cake can either mean “welcome” or bitterness and disappointment. Depending on the eater, it will either bring to light their greatest sorrow or open their heart to new relationships.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature

1 and 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 Tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk (1 tablespoon lemon juice to one cup milk if you want to make your own)

zest + juice of 3 medium lemons

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

For the frosting:

8 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature

3 and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 - 2 Tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Streusel topping:

½ cup cold butter

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons honey

3/4 cup flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and lightly flour three 8" circular cake pans. Set aside.

FOR THE CAKE:

1. Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high until creamy (approximately 1 minute). Add granulated and brown sugars and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed (but really, do this, and get all the way down to the bottom or when you pour the batter you’ll find it’s not all mixed). Add eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until everything is combined, about 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed for 5 seconds, then add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

3. Remove from the mixer and stir lightly until everything is just combined. Toss the blueberries in 1 Tablespoon of flour and fold into the batter. Batter is extremely thick. Do not overmix at any point. Overmixing will lend a tough, dense textured crumb.

4. Spoon batter evenly into 3 prepared cake pans. Bake the three layers for about 21-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

FOR THE FROSTING:

Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 3 full minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon cream, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add 1 more Tablespoon of cream to thin out, if desired. If it seems lumpy, put the whole thing in the microwave for two to three ten second bursts, then mix again.

Assemble and frost: First, using a large serrated knife, trim the tops off the cake layers to create a flat surface. Place 1 layer on your cake stand. Evenly cover the top with cream cheese frosting. This is where you can add the blueberry compote or preserves. Top with 2nd layer, more frosting/blueberries, then the third layer. Top the final layer with frosting.

FOR THE TOPPING:

Cut the butter into cubes and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a paddle. Add the sugar and honey; mix on low speed. Once smooth, add the flour, mixing just until it attains a crumbly texture (do not mix further to form a dough). Scatter the crumble on a baking sheet, passing it through your fingers to break up any clumps. Bake, stirring now and then with a spatula, until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes.