- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 Meyer lemons, sliced 1/4-inch thick (enough to cover the bottom of a 10-inch round cake pan)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons Fiori di Sicilia, lemon, or vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 350°F. As the oven is heating, cut the butter into 4 pieces, place them in a 10-inch round cake pan and place the pan in the oven. Melt the butter until it just melted. With a pastry brush, brush the butter up the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter. Layer the lemon slices on top of the brown sugar, overlapping the lemons.
Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom in a medium bowl; whisk until the ingredients are well combined, about 30 seconds. Place the granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Zest the lemon on top of the sugar, until you have what looks like 2 teaspoons. Use your fingers to rub the zest in to the sugar. Add the room temperature butter and Fiori di Sicilia, lemon, or vanilla extract. Beat the butter and sugar mixture on medium speed until it's light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add one egg at a time, beating after each addition. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the batter is well combined. Add all of the buttermilk and mix on medium speed until well combined. Add the remaining flour and and mix on low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for another 10 seconds to ensure all the ingredients are well combined. Gently pour the batter over the sliced lemons and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to release the cake and invert it onto a platter. Enjoy!- Yields: 8-12 servings
- Preparation Time: About 90 minutes
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