This challenge looked like a fun one, especially because it invovled lemon, which is not a flavor I use often, especially in a cake. It turned out pretty good, although I prefer chocolate over almost anything, but my taste buds are always up for something new!
Morven from Food Art and Random Thoughts was the host of this month’s challenge. Unlike the french bread from January, we could ‘play around’ with this recipe by adding different flavors as long as it was the basic cake and buttercream recipe. It also had to be a layer cake. I decided on going with the original recipe. If I take anything away from making this cake it will be that I figured out what went wrong when I made the marshmellow frosting that I attempted for my Chocolate Peppermint Stick Marshmallow Fantasy Cake back in December. I was really excited when I realized that, it was so simple, I just didn’t heat the egg white mixture enough. I didn’t want ‘em to scorch :)
Perfect Party Cake
(Recipe from: Dorie Greenspan’s Baking from My Home to Yours (page 250))
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups whole milk or buttermilk4 large egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure lemon extract
For the Buttercream
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Finishing
2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable
About 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
Getting Ready
Centre a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.
To Make the Cake
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.
Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.
Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.
Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.
Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.
Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean
Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners.
Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).
To Make the Buttercream
Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.
The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream.
Remove the bowl from the heat.
Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.
Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes.
During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.
On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla.
You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.
To Assemble the Cake
Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half.
Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.
Spread it with one third of the preserves.
Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream.
Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream leftover).
Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top.
Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.
Last Easter my husband and I went to my parents for Easter dinner along with my aunt and uncle, their family and my grandmas. I offered to bring a dish that one of my co-workers brought to a potluck at work once, Brussels Sprouts au Gratin. Yes, I know, brussels sprouts are not a favorite but think about them mixed in with ooey gooey cheese, wine and seasonings. Well, I will have to say this dish was not a big hit. I believe most of the fam gave it a try and I got some criticism from a select few that know I can take it. (we’ll keep the names confidential and just call them the laughing till they weep sisters) Straight from one of their mouths was, “they taste like cigarette butts.” FIRST of all I’m not sure how they would know that unless they have eaten a cigarette butt…I didn’t question them and SECOND who, especially me a newlywed still trying to find her way around the kitchen, knew that when picking out the brussels sprouts, the SMALLER the better. I went to 3 different grocery stores looking for the most gigantic sprouts I could find! Bummer, there was my problem. Anywho, I believe my grandma said she liked them, she probably got one of the smaller ones and I was sent home with the rest. But that was last Easter. This Easter we went to my mom-in-laws and I was in charge of dessert. That’s a safe one for me. I decided on the good old Eclair Dessert. One of my favorites. I wonder if I should try the brussel sprouts again next year when we go back to my side of the family and get the right size sprouts and hopefully impress everyone…well, I have a year to decide on that one. In the meantime, here is the recipe for the Eclair Dessert:
about this recipe is that you can either mix all the ingredients, knead and let the dough rise in the bread machine, take them out and form them how you want OR you can let the machine do everything including bake the bread. I usually do what my mom always did, let the machine do everything except the baking. After the timer goes off the bread machine telling me the kneading/rising process is finished, I take chunks from the dough and form them into round balls and throw them in a greased 9 inch circular pan. I usually do that the night before and throw them in the fridge. The day I want to serve them I take them out of the fridge and let them rise for 45 minutes to an hour and then bake them. You do what you want!
I had some sour cream that needed to be used up and I knew I had some bananas in the freezer that needed to be turned into something so what else to do with them except get out the handy dandy mixer and do some baking! I didn’t start mixing everything till 8:30 on a Wednesday night, which is a late start for me, but my husband and I wanted to go to our Wednesday night service at church (
http://thedaringkitchen.com/
