Lemon Cakes

From A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin  

Image by Rachel Howden 

George R. R. Martin's epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire is notorious not only for its graphic violence and political intrigue but also for its loving and lengthy descriptions of food, with passages spanning several pages to describe one meal... They're really my kind of books. It's almost impossible to choose just one dish or treat, so I made a poll for you all to help me decide. It ended up being the closest poll in Geeky Chef history, Lemon Cakes beat out the Garlic and Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb and the Honey Cakes by just a few votes. Those of you who voted for other things, don't fret! You can still try out all the tasty options. There's an amazing site called The Inn at the Crossroads dedicated solely to the food of ASoIaF and historical cuisine, you should really give it a visit. As many of you probably know, Game of Thrones (the HBO television adaption of A Song of Ice and Fire) is about to begin its third season, and most of us have eagerly anticipated seeing our favorite characters again. I personally plan to make a feast to celebrate and my version of Sansa Stark's favorite dessert, Lemon Cakes, is on the menu. The Lemon Cakes are mentioned pretty often in the books, but not described in detail. My impression of them was that they were a sort of tea-time treat for young lords and ladies to enjoy. I pictured them being very rustic in appearance and having a dense, moist texture with intense lemon flavor. My cakes are just that, and baked with a sweetened lemon slice for garnish. I hope you like them as much as Sansa Stark does!


Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 tbs. lemon zest

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 lemons, thinly sliced and seeded


Directions: 
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Boil lemon slices for about 15 minutes in 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar.
3) Grease a muffin tin with butter, vegetable oil or non-stick spray.
4) In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5) In another bowl,  beat butter and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.
6) Beat in eggs, then beat in 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and lemon zest.
7) Beat in flour mixture and then buttermilk.
8) Place 1 lemon slice in the bottom of each muffin cup.
9) Divide batter between cups, pouring over the lemon slices.
10) Bake until cakes are firm and golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
11) Mix together remaining lemon juice and sugar. Poke holes into the cakes, then slowly pour lemon and sugar mixture over the cakes so the juice gets absorbed into the cakes, let set for about 5-10 minutes.
12) Remove cakes from muffin cups and serve lemon slice side up!

Submitted by Allis

Image by The Geeky Chef

Photo by The Geeky Chef