Thomas J. Story
Kai Loebach has adapted this crowd-pleaser to make it gluten-free by using tapioca flour. “I didn’t say it’s fat-free,” he says. Because that would be no fun.
This recipe, and others like it, can be found in the article “These Amazing Fourth of July Desserts Are the Ultimate Crowd-Pleasers.”
Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
Butter a 10-inch round cake pan.
Crinkle two 12-by-16-inch parchment paper sheets into balls, flatten them and butter them on both sides.
Place them on top of each other and be sure they reach about 2” above the pan, as the cake will rise in the oven.
Beat cream cheese and sugar for 3–5 minutes in a mixer on medium speed, scraping down the sides occasionally.
Once there are no lumps, add one egg at a time until fully incorporated.
Add cream, salt, vanilla, and lemon zest, and beat until the batter is very smooth.
Sift the flour over the batter and mix until there are no lumps.
Pour batter into the parchment-lined pan and place on a doubled sheet pan (this helps keep the bottom from browning too much).
Bake 1 hour until the cake is rather dark on top but still jiggly.
Chill in the refrigerator until fully set, about 5 hours.
Carefully flip over the cake onto a plate and remove the paper. (This cake is intentionally rustic and will not have a perfect edge.)
Keep refrigerated until 1 hour prior to consumption, then let it come to room temperature for the flavors to bloom.
Serve with fresh berries or a topping of your choice.