Sanibel Lemon Cake

My mother has been reminiscing about a cake pan and a recipe that goes with it.

The pan was easy to find, it was in her refrigerator holding apples. She has always had a talent for repurposing. It’s made of copper and shaped like a shell.

The pan was a gift from a friend who brought it back from a trip to Sanibel Island. This pan came with a recipe attached to the bottom and was apparently a popular souvenir in the 70’s when a Sanibel Lemon Cake was a go-to bakery item. Rather than dig through my mother’s vast collection of recipes I took a chance with some old cookbooks and the Internet. It didn’t take long to find stories about the cake and the famous pan. There were several “original recipes”. They were all a bit different except for one ingredient – lemon Jello.  As a cake ingredient, Jello must have peaked around the 70’s resulting in things like strawberry cake, rainbow cake, and the infamous poke cake. Using Jello as a flavoring ingredient is not a bad thing. It makes for a moist cake with a lot of flavor. It might not be in vogue right now but neither were high-waisted cropped bell-bottoms – and yet here they are. Yikes!

It took a couple of practice runs to get everything right. The first wasn’t lemony enough. It could have been because lemon extract sounded iffy and didn’t make the ingredient list. The second attempt tasted sort of like a Jolly Rancher – sweet but sour at the same time. (Must mention that my tasters are not professionals but they are very dedicated.) The third try which included lemon zest was perfect. This cake is delicious and pretty. The glaze is – to quote the Colonel – finger licking good. A shell shaped pan is not necessary just fun and kitschy – in fact, several recipes for Sanibel Lemon Cake call for round cake pans. It may be the end of a cold February, but making this cake will remind you that spring is right around the corner. It tastes just like sunshine! Enjoy!

Please watch Talk of the Town on Channel 5 at 11:00 this Monday to see us cooking with Girl Scout Cookies.

Remember to buy a few (or a lot) of boxes since this is National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend!

Sanibel Lemon Cake

Ingredients

4 eggs separated

3 oz package lemon jello

¾ cup milk

¾ cup canola oil

1 cup sugar (plus 2 Tbsp)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

2 cups flour

Zest of one large lemon

Glaze

3 cups powdered sugar

Juice of 3 large lemons (about ½ cup)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Spray a Sanibel pan or 2 cake pans with baking spray.

In a mixing bowl combine egg yolks, lemon jello, milk, oil, sugar, and vanilla.

Stir in baking powder, flour and lemon zest.

In a separate bowl with an electric mixer beat egg whites with 2 Tbsp sugar until stiff.

Gently fold into batter and pour into prepared pan(s).

Bake 40 minutes until lightly browned and set in the middle.

Cool completely in pan.

To make glaze: Combine lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Pour over cooled cake.