Intensifying the lemon flavor without increasing the cost

[Franci]

I'm making a limoncello/white chocolate/almond cake. The price of almond is very high at the moment, plus limoncello, white chocolate and lemon zest is a very expensive cake to make. I usually chop my lemon peel, add to the coffee grinder with sugar and pulse. Anyway, 1 organic lemon is 1$ at the moment.

For this cake I also use some finely chopped candied lemon peel, plus limoncello and lemon juice.

I've used sparingly lemon extract because if not used judiciously  can be overpowering.

What are your strategies? Any suggestions to increase the lemon flavor without increasing the cost.

[Hassouni]

Citric acid?

[Franci]

That for sure! Thanks Hassouni

[cdh]

Boyajian lemon oil would do it.  http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=boyajian%20lemon%20oil&index=blended is what I'm talking about.  Very small amounts bring great citrus aroma.

[djyee100]

Make a lemon glaze with some lemon juice and sugar. I combine 1/2 cup lemon juice with 1/3 cup sugar for a 9-inch loaf cake. Don't worry about dissolving all the sugar--the glaze is actually better that way. While the cake is still very warm, punch holes all over it with a wooden skewer or toothpick, then spoon the glaze over the top and sides.

 

Boyajian lemon oil is also great, per cdh's post, but it's expensive and will increase the cost of your cake. That lemon oil does give a unique lemon-y punch to a cake, though.

[cdh]

How expensive the Boyajian oil is depends on how you look at it...  The 5 oz. bottle of it that has been in my succession of fridges over the past 15 years is still 3/4 full, and it does get used.  A chopstick dipped in it to stir a drink does more aromatizing than any twist can... a half teaspoon is as much as I've ever thrown into a baked good, and that is plenty...  The stuff goes a long long long way.

[Shel_B]

The lemon oil is terrific.  A couple of years ago it was suggested I use it to punch up a lemon poppy seed cake I was playing around with.  I've never used more than three or four drops in addition to the regular recipe.  It made a big difference.  As noted by cdh, a little goes a l-o-n-g way and lasts a very long time.

[jmacnaughtan]

Do you use a microplane for the zest?  That makes a difference.  Also, it's good to zest your lemon directly into the sugar- it seems to capture the flavour better.

 

But you know, the white chocolate is probably masking some of the lemon.  You could try reducing the quantity.

 

ETA: Just reread the original post and saw that you chop the zest.  Try microplaning

Edited March 6, 2015 by jmacnaughtan (log)

[Franci]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I tried the Boyajian oil years ago and I remember to be really good.