Joanne Fluke's Pucker up Lemon Cake

From her book, Cinnamon Roll Murder. I made this for Mother's Day Brunch and served with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. It was delicious!

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 12

Ingredients

• 1  large lemon
• 1  cup golden raisin
• 1⁄3 cup pecans
• 2  cups flour
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
• 1  teaspoon  lemon extract (or vanilla if you don't have lemon)
• 3⁄4 cup milk
• 2  large eggs
• 1⁄4 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a 9 x 13" cake pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
3. Wash the outside of your lemon and pat dry. Cut in half and juice the lemon, reserving the liquid to use later. Pick out the seeds and cut each half into four pieces.
4. Put these 8 pieces along with the raisins and the pecans into a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. That's right, you're using the entire lemon in this cake. Set this mixture aside.
5. In your electric mixer bowl, add one cup of flour, the salt, baking soda, and sugar. Mix them on LOW for about 30 seconds.
6. Add the second cup of flour and mix on LOW for about 30 seconds.
7. Add the softened butter, the lemon extract and 3/4 cup of milk. Beat on LOW until the flour is well moistened. Then turn the mixer up to MEDIUM-HIGH and beat for 2 minutes.
8. Shut off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
9. Turn the mixer on LOW and add the eggs, one at a time, beating continuously. Now add the last of the milk.
10. Once everything is incorporated, turn the mixer up to MEDIUM-HIGH and beat for 2 minutes. Turn off the mixer, remove the bowl and scrape down the sides.
11. Gradually add the ground lemon, raisin and pecan mixture, folding it in gently so you don't deflate all that lovely air you just beat into the mixture.
12. Pour into your prepared pan and smooth out as evenly as possible. This batter is a bit stiff.
13. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack.
14. While the cake is still warm, drizzle 1/3 cup of the fresh lemon juice over the surface of the cake. It will instantly be absorbed.
15. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup white sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon until well mixed. Sprinkle this cinnamon/sugar mixture over the still warm cake.
16. Optional: Sprinkle 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans on top of the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
17. Let your cake cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. This will keep your cake nice and moist.
18. You can serve the cake right out of the fridge or let it come to room temperature.
19. It also freezes well if you wrap it in plastic wrap, then foil, and place the whole thing in a sealable freezer bag.