Arizona Meyer Lemon Yogurt Cake


Not all lemons are created equal.

I have been deprived living here in the Northeast, having never tried a Meyer lemon!
Yup, it's true.

I don't have a lemon tree in my front yard, in fact, we don't have any citrus trees anywhere in NJ.

My lovely neighbor went home to visit her parents in Arizona last week, and her even lovelier mother packed up a dozen Meyer lemons from her tree in Tempe for me to enjoy.

She washed the lemon must (is there such a word?) off of them, and they were gently transported in a carry-on bag to my front door.

Suzanne Goin is always using Meyer lemons in her recipes from Sunday Suppers at Lucques, but I just sub in a regular old lemon.

I have been living under a rock, and missing out. There is a big difference between lemons.

A Meyer lemon is more the size of a small grapefruit, and the aroma and flavor so different from your basic lemon.


They are intoxicating.

What will I do with these beautiful organic lemons?

First task will be to bake a cake.

Here, I created a simple recipe using the zest only. One large Meyer lemon yielded 2 tablespoons of zest.
I am savoring the lemons, because when I run out, that's it.


Arizona Meyer Lemon Yogurt Cake:

2 tbsp packed lemon zest from Meyer lemon (I used one huge lemon)
1/2 cup olive oil (I use mild flavored Colavita brand)
1 cup of plain Greek yogurt (I used a 7 oz container of Fage 2% fat)
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup of almond meal (ground almonds)
2/3 cup of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cardamom
pinch of salt

The recipe is the usual, mix the wet ingredients together, then gradually add in the dry ingredients.

Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper and butter the sides.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, and bake 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden.
Let the cake rest in the pan 10 minutes before unmolding the cake.

I dusted it with my usual spork pattern and powdered sugar.

Decorate w/ whatever spring edible flowers you have and enjoy.


This is a moist and delicious cake.

Comments

Ciao Chow Linda said…
What a gorgeous cake. I can't believe you never tried a Meyer lemon. They're easily available in supermarkets in Princeton and I just bought a small Meyer lemon tree that I plan to coddle indoors all winter. By the way, that nasty spammer sometimes gets through on my blog. I hadn't seen it until you pointed it out today. Thanks for letting me know so I could go and delete his spam.
Bebe said…
Dear Stacey,
California girl here. Meyer lemons come in all sizes. Most are the size of a regular Eureka lemon. (I have never ever seen one the size of a small grapefruit, though I’d love to!). They are very juicy and have thinner skins.

They are a challenge to zest because of the thin skins. Some substitute regular lemon zest when using the Meyer lemon juice, which is not as acidic as regular lemon juice.

Their fragrance is almost perfumey. When I use one for anything, I take the rind and squish it around in my hands. Wonderful fragrance.

They are very prolific, bearing fruit almost around the calendar….here.

XO

Anonymous said…
Stacey
If I cant find the Meyer lemons will the cake be just as good with regular lemons?? Really want to make this one!

Thanks!
Michele
Bebe said…
Not Stacey (!) but I’ve never heard of a fresh lemon cake that couldn’t be made with regular lemons if Meyers were unavailable.

I’ve made lemon bars with a recipe intended for regular lemons, but using Meyers, and they were delicious.
Stacey Snacks said…
Michelle
Yes, I'm sure regular lemons would be fine!

Stacey
Three years ago, I did purchase a miniature Meyer Lemon tree from one of the nursery's that sells on QVC. They featured this beautiful, robust tree and I couldn't resist. I bought two, one for me and one for my sister-in-law. I struggled to keep mine alive, with no success. Hers was beautiful and eventually produced one lemon. However, housing it inside during the winter, then back outside in the summer is a real chore, because the tree does go into shock during the moves. Hers eventually died too. Good luck if you choose to get one.
Susan said…
This recipe sounds great! - no sugar?
Bebe said…
Susan, I’m seeing 1 cup of sugar in the recipe. ???
Stacey Snacks said…
Susan. Bebe.

I revised recipe. I forgot the sugar!