Fennel is a highly aromatic and flavorful herb with culinary and medicinal uses and, along with the similar-tasting anise, is one of the primary ingredients of absinthe. One of our favorite ways to enjoy fennel is in an Italian style sausage – a delicious addition to a pasta sauce or in a lasagna.
Lemon Cake with Toasted Fennel
This cake is a perfect light dessert for a spring dinner on the deck or to add to your Mother’s day brunch menu.
Ingredients
1 cup butter
5 eggs
4 teaspoons fennel seeds (available in store at Well Seasoned)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla (available in store at Well Seasoned)
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp. shredded lemon peel
½ cup lemon juice
1 cup flaked coconut (available in store at Well Seasoned)
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions:
Let butter and eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan; set pan aside. In a small skillet or saucepan, heat and stir fennel seeds over medium heat about 2 minutes or until fragrant; cool. Crush slightly with a mortar and pestle. Set fennel aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a very large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add the 2 cups sugar, beating about 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 20 to 30 seconds after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating on low to medium speed after each addition just until combined. Using a wooden spoon, stir in fennel seeds, lemon peel, the ½ cup lemon juice and the coconut.
Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degrees F oven 55 to 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan heat and stir the ¼ cup sugar and the 2 tablespoons lemon juice over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
Invert cake onto wire rack set over a shallow baking pan; remove pan. Poke holes with a wooden toothpick or skewer into top of cake. Spoon glaze over cake. Cool thoroughly and serve.
