The surprise ingredient in this moist cake is cottage cheese. Serve one loaf now and freeze the second for a future gathering.
Ingredients
- 4 sticks (1 pound) butter, room temperature
- 8 ounces lard
- 10 eggs
- 6 cups sugar
- 6 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Zest from 10 lemons
- 16 ounces cottage cheese (goat cheese, sour cream or ricotta may be used as substitutes)
- 4 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup cultured buttermilk
- Dash kosher salt
- 3 pounds powdered sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 2 loaf pans and coat in granulated sugar. Place pans in freezer while preparing cake batter.
In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, start whipping butter and lard with sugar. Continue to whip, scraping with rubber spatula every few minutes to fully incorporate, until creamy and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time and whip at medium-high speed, scraping often, for approximately 4 to 5 minutes. It is important to whip enough to ensure nice crusting on the cakes.
Sift baking powder into already-sifted flour. Add salt and lemon zest into flour mixture until well incorporated. Add vanilla, vinegar and dry ingredients into mixer and continue to mix with paddle on low-medium speed. Once all ingredients listed above are beginning to mix, add in cottage cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325° for 55 to 65 additional minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. When cake is cool, pour lemon glaze over top.
To make glaze, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth and of pouring consistency.
