What's Wrong With This Cake?

Are you the Miss Marple of cakes? Or perhaps the Sherlock Holmes of baking (he does live on Baker Street . . .)? If so, I need your help! Yesterday I baked a tried-and-true recipe - Lemon Tea Bread. I've made it zillions of times (okay, this kind of statement makes my husband raise an eyebrow, but I say a little hyperbole just makes your point). Back to the baking - it's an easy recipe that results in a perfect product. Except this time . . .

The center was sunken and I ended up overcooking it in an attempt to get the center to rise to a normal height. The result is this - it's too dark on the edges and dryer than normal, AND the center - well, you can see what's wrong with the center. On the bright side, it is still delish and looks a bit like a heart, so it could be an early Valentine attempt.

I think perhaps my butter was too soft. I didn't make any of the usual mistakes that cause a cake to cave (i.e., wrong amount of flour, over- or under-beaten, oven temperature wrong, etc.). And it didn't fall after it was removed from the oven, it was like this as it cooked. Plus, this is a simple recipe - not a sponge cake or other complicated type.

Having said all this, you might still like the recipe. It's a wonderful tea bread that's not too heavy and has a nice lemony flavor. Perfect with a cup of tea on a cold afternoon, and if you don't overcook it as I did, you can slice it thinly.

Lemon Tea Bread

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons lemon rind, divided

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preparation

Beat softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating at low speed just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon rind. Spoon batter into greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loafpan.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth; spoon evenly over top of bread, letting excess drip down sides. Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon lemon rind and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; sprinkle on top of bread.

From Dorsella Utter, Louisville, Kentucky, as seen in Southern Living, October 2004

Maybe Dorsella, who developed this recipe, will read this and offer a suggestion! Have a great Sunday and good luck if you're baking . . .