Epiphany Drizzle Cake

The morning of Epiphany, I had a vivid dream about a cake-- a lemon drizzle cake with bitters. In the dream, I called it "M----- Drizzle Cake" (my surname). After watching the very first episode of GBBO (Series 1, episode 1!) with my sister T, I finally made the cake as my "signature bake."

I was first introduced to bitters over a decade ago on a visit to Palo Alto to visit my sister R. We went with some friends to a little restaurant with an even smaller bar up front, and I ordered a "nonalcoholic juicy blend" from the cute bartender. He got really excited and explained that he himself didn't drink, and felt like his best creative efforts were the nonalcoholic drinks he invented for himself. And friends-- the juicy blend was delicious. I asked him what the secret was, and he said it was a splash of bitters-- it rounded out the other flavors, polished the sweet and tart edges, and added floral complexity.

It's easy to keep a little bottle of Angostura bitters around-- just like a bottle of vanilla extract-- and I quite like a splash in lemonade. It's recently become somewhat hip to use bitters as a flavoring in a variety of fruity things, like pies. So when I had my dream, I figured that someone online would have certainly combined the idea of Angostura lemonade with lemon drizzle cake.

I was surprised to find only one recipe-- and amused that it was from Ayesha Curry (Steph Curry's wife). Of course, I could have just found a reliable lemon drizzle cake recipe and added Angostura to the drizzle, but I wanted guidance on proportion, and I was pleased that the Curry recipe also included it in the cake. I adapted it only slightly, using sour cream instead of whole milk plain Greek yogurt (which the rather lowbrow store I went to for supplies didn't have), light brown sugar for dark (I was worried about overwhelming the other flavors), and almond extract for the amaretto.

I had a slice while it was almost-- but not really-- cooled, and it was good, but too novel to really comfort. But after I let it cool overnight, the flavors had become friendly with one another and now I think it is just wonderful. I might try the idea with one of Maida Heatter's lemon cake recipes but I really quite love my cake as it is.

1 1/2 c AP flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 c light brown sugar
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 c sour cream
1/2 c oil
1/3-1/2 c lemon juice
1 t almond extract
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 t Angostura bitters (maybe I did 1 1/2?)
2 T lemon zest

Heat oven to 350; prep an 8 inch springform pan. Whisk the dries. Whisk the wets. Gently fold dries into wets. Bake 60 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; then on rack. When just somewhat warm, set the rack over a sheet and poke the cake all over with a toothpick. Pour a glaze of whisked:

1 c powdered sugar
3 T lemon juice
3/4 t Angostura bitters

Try to get it in the edges on the sides and down the holes, but some quantity (several tablespoons?) will run off onto the tray-- that's fine and as it should be, I think.