I was watching the Food Network at the gym the other day and saw Giada making this cake. It looked pretty simple, and I'm a growing fan of souffles, so I decided to try it out. I got a bit frustrated because my mixer didn't really manage to beat the egg whites to the appropriate level of stiffness, but I think the cake turned out pretty well even though it wasn't perfect. The flavors were interesting, but it was really good with the simple syrup over it. Even the boys liked it, and they all sort of balked at the lemon mint combination.
Cake:
3 eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 mint sprigs, leaves chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 cup all-purpose flour
Syrup: [this will make much more than you need for the cake, but as Giada mentions on the show, you can use it for cocktails and other desserts]
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.
For the cake: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
In a separate large bowl, beat the vegetable oil, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time. Add the chopped mint, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Set aside.
Slowly add 1/2 of the egg white mixture into the oil mixture. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the remaining egg white mixture. Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a cutting board and allow to cool before slicing.
For the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes.
To serve, spoon some of the syrup onto each small plate or shallow bowl and lay a slice of cake on top. Drizzle the cake with additional syrup and garnish with a small sprig of mint
Nutritional information (for 1/12 of cake with syrup)
177 calories
6g total fat
31g carbs
3g protein
Exhibit A: my not so stiff egg whites. Sigh.
Cake:
3 eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 mint sprigs, leaves chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 cup all-purpose flour
Syrup: [this will make much more than you need for the cake, but as Giada mentions on the show, you can use it for cocktails and other desserts]
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.
For the cake: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
In a separate large bowl, beat the vegetable oil, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time. Add the chopped mint, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Set aside.
Slowly add 1/2 of the egg white mixture into the oil mixture. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the remaining egg white mixture. Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a cutting board and allow to cool before slicing.
For the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes.
To serve, spoon some of the syrup onto each small plate or shallow bowl and lay a slice of cake on top. Drizzle the cake with additional syrup and garnish with a small sprig of mint
Nutritional information (for 1/12 of cake with syrup)
177 calories
6g total fat
31g carbs
3g protein
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