Pucker Up Lemon Cake

If you are a lemon fan, as you know I am, you will love this cake. I found this recipe in Joanne Fluke's Cinnamon Roll Murder. She writes the cutest little cozy mysteries. I love the story, but I think I enjoy the recipes just as much. This cake freezes beautifully. Great to have on hand during the summer.

One 9 x 13-inch cake
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1 large lemon with perfect skin because you will use it also
1 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup pecans
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup softened butter ( 1 stick)
1 teaspoon lemon or vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk ((this brings the milk total to one cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position

Grease and lightly flour a 9 x 13-inch cake pan.

Wash the outside of the lemon. Then juice it and save the juice. Pick out the seeds, then cut the pulp and rind into 8 pieces.

If you have a food grinder use it, if not simply put the lemon pulp and rind into the bowl of your food processor, and add the raisins and pecans. Process with and on and off motion until they're chopped as finely as if you had used a food grinder. Set aside in a bowl.

Measure one cup of flour and put it in the bowl of your mixer. Add the salt, baking soda, and white sugar. Mix together on LOW speed. Add the second cup of flour and mix at LOW speed.

Add the softened butter, the lemon or vanilla extract, and the 3/4 cup of milk. Beat at LOW speed until the flour is well moistened. Then turn the mixer up to medium high speed. Beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl.

Add the eggs, one at a time on LOW speed. Mix in rest of the milk. Turn mixer to medium high and beat for 2 minutes.

Gradually add the ground lemon, raisin, and pecan mixture by hand, folding in gently.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes, until tester comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Topping for Lemon Cake
Topping may be added to hot cake right from the oven.

1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Drizzle the lemon juice over the hot cake.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon with a fork. Sprinkle over the top of the cake.

Sprinkle the pecans on top of the sugar and cinnamon.

Let cake cool to room temperature. Cover it and refrigerate. It freezes well if you wrap it in foil and put in a freezer bag.