Lemon and Fennel Cake

Ingredients:
For fennel:
1 fennel bulb
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
4 3-inch thin strips lemon zest
1 tsp fennel seeds

For cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk

Prepare cake pan:
Lightly oil pan and line with a large piece of wax paper, pleating the sides and trimming to fit. Lightly oil the paper. Line side with a 2-inch-wide strip of wax paper long enough to wrap around inside of pan to cover pleats, then lightly oil. (This will make the sides of the cake smooth.)

Make candied fennel:

1. Cut fennel bulb lengthwise with slicer into enough 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 9) to cover bottom of cake pan.
2. Cover fennel with cold water in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil. Drain fennel and set aside. Add sugar, water (3/4 cup), zest, and fennel seeds to saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add fennel slices and very gently simmer until tender and translucent and liquid is syrupy, about 40 minutes. Lift fennel slices out with a fork and arrange decoratively in bottom of cake pan. If you have more than 1/3 cup syrup, boil to reduce; if less, add water. Cool syrup slightly, then pour (through a fine-mesh sieve if desired) over fennel.

Make cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF with the rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in lemon zest.
4. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and mixing until just combined. Gently spoon batter over topping, spreading evenly.
5. Bake until cake is golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan 15 minutes, then invert onto a plate and continue to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Source: Gourmet Magazine, April, 2009

AMENDMENT: My dad made this tonight and it turned out pretty okay. He was upset that our slicer didn't make perfectly thin slices. Also make sure not to under bake because our wooden pick came out clean but part of the cake was undercooked and we had to put it back in! I also would suggest maybe using an olive oil infused with lemon instead of a tasteless oil on the baking pan. This will add a nice kick to the bottom of the cake.