Ladurée Lemon Cake
Ladurée Lemon Cake
Have you heard of Ladurée, the ultra chic French pâtisserie found in refined urban centres like Paris, New York, Tokyo, and Dubai? Here in Vancouver, we are fortunate that Ladurée Boutique and Tea Salon has just opened on Robson Street. On opening day, three hundred people thronged to be the first through the doors. I have not yet visited this swishy store, but can’t wait to go really soon. I was fascinated that Ladurée can be credited with creating the ubiquitous French macaron cookies. So I learned from this article in the Vancouver Sun, which also provided today’s recipe.
As many of you know, I am crazy for anything lemon, so I couldn’t wait to make this cake. It is over-the-top lemony: poached lemons, juice, zest, syrup, and glaze, all combine to make Ladurée Lemon Cake the ultimate lemon experience! It has a rich, pound-cake texture, since it soaks up almost a cup of lemon syrup. Not only that, it has a very elegant presence, and would be a show-stopper at your next tea party.
A note about the poached lemons: I had never made them before and was a bit worried about incorporating them into the cake. But, I am here to tell you – they give umami a new meaning altogether! They will become a new passion, and I assure you that you will be putting poached lemons in other cakes and desserts; I am thinking poached lemon cheesecake… And one other happy hint – keep the poaching liquid for your next batch of lemon drop martinis, or any other lemony drinks you plan to make this summer.
I really hope you love this cake as much as I do, and I will be bringing it to Angie’s Fiesta Friday, and to Foodie FriDIY @ Bowl Me Over.
This is an uber-lemony cake!
Ladurée Lemon Cake
Ingredients:
Poached lemon slices:
3 lemons
1 cup water
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Lemon cake batter:
5 tablespoons + 1 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups + 1 tablespooon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
zest of one lemon
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon cream
1 pinch coarse sea salt
1 2/3 tablespoons rum
Lemon syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup real lemon juice
Lemon glaze:
2 oz. lemon jelly (or apricot jelly if you can’t find lemon – I used store-bought lemon curd)
1 tablespoon water
Method:
The night before baking, cut lemons into thin (2 mm) slices. Bring water and sugar to a simmer and add the slices. Poach over very low heat for 20 minutes. Don’t boil. Cool and then refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Set aside six of the poached lemon slices for decoration. Drain the remaining slices and measure a 1/2 cup lemon slices, and cut each slice in half.
Butter a loaf pan, dust with flour and line with a rectangle of parchment paper to make the unmolding easier.
Place the 5 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and melt over low heat.
Sift the flour and yeast into a small bowl. Grate the zest from the lemon and toss with the sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, while whisking. Continue to whisk and add the cream, salt and rum. Fold in the flour and yeast mixture, halved lemon slices and lukewarm melted butter.
Preheat oven to 410°F. Fill the loaf pan with the batter to 2 cm below the rim. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then lower the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 45 minutes. When ready, a knife inserted in the cake should come out clean, dry and free of crumbs.
While the cake is baking, make the lemon syrup by bringing the water, sugar and lemon juice to a boil. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat until the mixture becomes syrupy. Remove from heat.
Place a cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. When the cake is done, remove from the pan and place on the rack. Once cooled, remove the parchment paper. Using a wooden skewer, pierce the cake all over. Bring the syrup to a simmer. Using a ladle, pour syrup over the cake and allow to soak in. Gather syrup from baking sheet and pour over cake. Repeat twice.
To make the lemon glaze, stir together jelly and water. Lightly heat without boiling until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Coat cake with glaze, and then decorate with the lemon slices.
Perfect with a cup of tea!
Foodie On Board 
27 Responses to “Ladurée Lemon Cake”
Oh yes Ladurée macaron are really exceptional and this lemon cake looks absolutley delicious. Like you I am a lemon lover and any dessert with lemon is autimatically a favorite. Interesting that this is a yeast cake.
Yes, the yeast is really unusual and gives the cake a hint of a different flavour. I can’t wait to try their macarons! 😀
Only knew of Ladurée’s macaron fame but am dying to try this recipe as I crazy for lemon too!
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Hey Joanne, well if you love lemon, you will really enjoy this cake! I must be in good company – you guys have all heard of their Macarons! Happy FF to you!
Julianna, you’ve done it again! Thanks for this superb recipe.
Glad you like this, Hilda! Have an awesome weekend! 😀
That lemon glaze is mesmerizing, Julianna! Your cake looks delicious!
Oh thanks, Patty. It was quite funny to photograph it. I kept getting a reflection on the cake, depending on which way I turned it! Who ever thought that a cake could reflect light! 🙂
I love the intense lemony flavours in this cake. Plan to try it out sometime.
I hope you get to make it, Ahila! 😀
Another lemon lover here, bet this would be fabulous with Meyers. And I love the idea to save the poaching liquid. This is on my list to try. The yeast is an interesting addition since the cake doesn’t have time to rise.
Hey Liz, I love the idea of the Meyer Lemons! I will try that next time. And I thought so about the yeast too, but it all works so well. It was a nice surprise!
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Wow this is a beautiful cake. I am a lemon fanatic and can only imagine how delicious this cake is.
So glad you like this, Julie! It is a dream come true for all of us lemon fanatics! 😀
I like lemons, I wouldn’t say I love them, but I love everything about this lemon cake. Everything from the rich cake batter, to the lemon slices in the cake, and especially the glaze. Pinned for later!
Well, I really hope you get a chance to try this cake, Lily! It’s worth it! 😀
What a beautiful cake! I’ve been to Ladurée while I was living in Tokyo but I’ve never tried anything other than their famous macarons! Thank you for sharing this 🙂
Oh, how lucky you are to have been! I can’t wait to make a trip to the one in Vancouver, very soon! Macarons will be the first on the list of the things I want to try. 😀
This recipe is both, intriguing & beautiful. My mouth is puckering up as I am reading through your post. I am going to make that poached lemon slices, but I’m gonna by your place for a piece of cake 🙂
Love it, Julianna
Mmmm, you’re going to love those lemon slices, Pang! You will use them in all sorts of things, I’m sure! 😀
Oo this looks yummy! Lemon cake is my favourite and I love Ladurée, especially the macarons!
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Thanks so much! You are lucky to have been to a Laduree! I am going to try to get there this weekend!
I hope you’ve managed to get to one this weekend! I always find it impossible to choose which flavour macarons I want…
Julianna, everything you make is beautiful! I would LOVE a piece!! 😉
You are so kind, Bonnie! And for you, a huge piece of lemon cake coming right up! I bet you would like some tea with that? 😉
This is such a beautiful post! Sounds delicious. Can’t wait to try it 🙂 Thanks Juliana.