Lemon Mint Cake
Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
This is such a light and refreshing cake, with the bright flavors of lemon and mint throughout. The texture of this cake is fluffy and light, similar to an angel food cake, with an irresistibly crackly top.
You will likely end up with leftover lemon syrup – which is a great thing to have on hand in the kitchen. Use it for cocktails or to sweeten tea!
Lemon Mint Cake
Serves:
8
Cooking Level: Beginner
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Inactive Time
20 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
For The Cake:
- 3 eggs, separated, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 8 mint sprigs, leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For The Syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
For Garnishing:
- Freshly whipped cream, optional
- Fresh berries and mint sprigs, optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.
- For the cake: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the vegetable oil, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time. Add the chopped mint, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Set aside.
- Slowly add 1/2 of the egg white mixture into the oil mixture. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the remaining egg white mixture. Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a cutting board and allow to cool before slicing.
- For the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes.
- To serve, spoon some of the syrup onto each small plate or shallow bowl and lay a slice of cake on top. Drizzle the cake with additional syrup and garnish with a small sprig of mint.
NUTRITION:
Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 91IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
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I made this recipe for Easter. After reading the comments from the Food Network, I made a few changes. I doubled the recipe and put in into a 10" springform pan. Instead of putting the simple syrup on the plate I poked the top of the baked cake with a toothpick and poured the syrup on the top of the cake. Served with fruit and whipped cream. It was perfect!!
My mother-in-law loves lemon, and so I made this cake for her birthday this week. Hugely popular! The lemon syrup takes it over the top. Served the cake with whipped cream and berries on the plate, rather than atop the cake, so that folks could blend their own flavors. One note: this is NOT a beginner recipe, as advertised. Both getting the meringue consistency right and folding it safely into the cake batter require some skill. But for more experienced bakers, this recipe is worth the effort.