Lemon Cake

Today is cake-baking day. My favorite is meyer lemon cake with a cream cheese icing. The key to a fluffy cake is to beat the eggs first before you add any ingredients. Once you have hand-beaten the eggs so they have tripled in your bowl, you can add the liquids and dry ingredients. Always add the oil towards the end.
A trick I learned from one of my baking instructors is to place an 9-inch cake pan filled with water (and I add a sprinkle of cinnamon) in the middle oven rack while your oven is pre-heating. Then you place the cake pans with the batter on the rack over the pan with the water. This will ensure an even moister cake.
Don't open the oven door during the first 30 minutes of baking. If you need to look at the cake, hopefully you have a window to peek through an a light. If not, just steel yourself through the first half hour. You don't want your cake to cave in.
It is raining in Santa Monica. It hailed for a few minutes earlier today. The sun came out while it was raining. Good day to be productive at home.
Happy baking!
Delia Baker