Buttermilk Cake with Candied Citrus

By á-2304

Ingredients

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel, plus 2 lemons, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk, well shaken
• 1/2 pink grapefruit, thinly sliced, crosswise
• 1 navel orange, thinly sliced, crosswise

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of a butered 2x9 inch round cake pan with wax paper, then butter the paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar and hte butter at medium speed until fluffy, then beat in the lemon peel and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the buttermilk on low speed. Working in 3 batches, mix in the flour mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until golden, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edge. Invert onto the rack and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup water to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the citrus slices and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and cool the fruit in a sieve set over a bowl; return the syrup to pan and boil gently until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes.

Poke the cake all over with a skewer, then pour 3/4 cup of the syrup slowly and evenly over the cake. Arrange citrus slices on top. Drizzle the remaining syrup over the fruit.