Lemon~Chocolate Chip Tea Cake

Today would have been my mother's 92nd birthday.  A truly remarkable woman, who raised eight children, sometimes on her own when my Dad's duty assignment was at sea and she survived The Great Depression, a World War, the Korean conflict and living on a budget before credit cards were popular!  She was my mother and when I got married and had children, my best friend and always my mentor.

This tea cake I made in her honor has her two favorite flavors--lemon and chocolate and I'm sure it would have pleased her.  It's an interesting combination, which my girls would have told anyone, she was famous for.  Once, when my dad picked them up from school while I was working, they came back to the house and my mother was eating Cheetos dipped into Marshmallow Fluff!  Also, I blame her for giving me my obsession with sweet and salty with all the chocolate dipped pretzels and potato chips we sampled throughout the years.

February 6th is a tough day, but baking and being able to talk to my sister today made it bearable.  Memories and traditions have sustained us through the worse times and losing our mother at such an early age is definitely one of those times.

Lemon~Chocolate Chip Tea Bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
Juice and Zest of one large lemon
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Kosher salt
2/3 cup sour cream
3/4 cup Mini Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips


Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 T lemon juice
1 tsp. Light Karo Syrup


Candied Lemons (optional)
If you are doing the candied lemons, begin the process before starting the batter.

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Lightly spray a non-stick pan(s) with baking spray.  
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the eggs, one at a time, continuing to mix on medium speed and thoroughly combined.

Mix together the dry ingredients and add to the batter alternately with the sour cream.  Beat for 1 minute on medium speed (don't over mix).  Finally, stir in the mini chocolate chips.

Distribute batter in a 9" x 5" loaf pan plus 2-3 muffin or small loaf pans.  I used a decorative loaf pan and two paper baking forms in a heart shape.

As you will notice, I decorated the tops with the some of the candied lemons, but that's a bad idea because they end up browning way too much.  If you make the candied lemons, decorate the tea cakes after they are baked!

Place pan(s) in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Lower temperature to 325F-degrees and continue to bake another 15 minutes.  I baked the loaf pan for 35 to 40 minutes.  A skewer poked in the center should come out clean and the tops firm when pressed with your finger tips.


Mix up the glaze and pour over the loaf and small cakes (I poured over the candied lemon slices.)

Serve warm or cooled.  The loaf has a wonderful texture and the flavor combination is memorable.  It's not a fancy cake, but my mom would have loved it with her coffee--she liked the unusual and to be surprised.  Wishing you were here to have a slice with me...