Blueberry Lemon Curd Cake

26 Jun 2015 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Dessert, Sweets Tags: ,

I feel like I’ve had a crazy case of writers block lately. I have so many posts to write and my mind is just blank…..

Blueberries. Little spheres of yummy happiness. I’ve loved them all of my nearly 40 years on this planet. They’re so delicious and they’re healthy to boot. What’s not to love?

This recipe is on the healthier side of cake I guess you could say due to the yogurt-but don’t be fooled. It’s a deeeeelicious cake. It’s adapted from recipe I found digging through the endless offerings on the interwebs. I made changes that I think moved it along for the better. Also it’s big-it’s a 9×13 baking dish size which is great-everyone gets a piece.

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Blueberry Lemon  Curd Cake

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups self-rising flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1&1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp. lemon curd
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 and make sure the rack is in the middle.
  2. Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with baking spray and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the oil, eggs and sugar. Mix on medium until it’s smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
  4. Add the yogurt and lemon curd and continue to mix, scraping again, until smooth.
  5. In a separate bowl whisk the flour and baking soda together.
  6. Gently fold the flour into the wet ingredients.
  7. Add the berries and fold very gently until mixed in.
  8. Pour the batter evenly into the pan and spread it evenly with a spatula.
  9. Bake for 5 minutes then lower the heat to 350 and bake for 20-25 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  10. Remove. Allow to cool and then cut and serve.
  11. Will keep for a few days in an airtight container.

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This cake is this installation of What’s Baking!!! The theme for this time around is ‘baking with fresh fruit’.

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Adapted from http://www.letthebakingbeginblog.com

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Ruby Red Grapefruit, Meyer Lemon and Olive Oil Cake

12 Jan 2015 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Dessert, Sweets Tags: , ,

I was so glad to see the Meyer lemons back in the store a few weeks ago. I bought a few of them with the intent of finding something to bake/cook/mix. The season is so short and I didn’t want to wait.

Coincidentally, the next day, I spotted a gorgeous cake on Cheese Curd in Paradise. A grapefruit and olive oil cake.  I saw it and thought “well why not? Grapefruit and Meyer lemons are delicious together! ” I also had a grapefruit in my fridge to use up. So the recipe below was hatched. It’s a lovely lightly flavored, moist cake that is very easy to make. No mixer needed-just a few bowls and a spoon.

Any left over glaze is perfect for dipping strawberries into also!

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Ruby Red Grapefruit, Meyer Lemon and Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients (Cake):

  • Non-stick baking spray
  • 1 & 1/2 cups AP flour
  • 2 tbsp ruby red grapefruit zest
  • 1 tbsp Meyer lemon zest
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup very good quality olive oil
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp table salt
  • 1 tbsp ruby red grapefruit juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 1 tbsp Meyer lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 1/3 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt

Syrup

  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup ruby red grapefruit juice (freshly squeezed)

Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 tbsp ruby red grapefruit juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 1 tbsp Meyer lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

Instructions:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 and prepare a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
  2. Place the sugar and zest in a large bowl and smush it through your fingers until it gets slightly pasty.
  3. To the sugar mixture add the oil, whisk to combine, then the eggs-one at a time, stir until evenly combined scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
  4. In a smaller bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to evenly combine.
  5. In a small bowl mix the juices and yogurt and whisk until evenly combined.
  6. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the sugar mixture-alternating but beginning and ending with the flour. Stirring to combine in between each addition. Do not over mix.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out on the top. Give the pan a few light taps on the counter to get out any air bubbles.
  8. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  9. While the cake is baking make the syrup. Place the ingredients into a small sauce pan, cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Stir it from time to time. Set it aside.
  10. When the cake is done let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. While the cake is cooling place a cooling rack over a large piece of parchment paper or foil. Place the cooling rack on the top of the cake and carefully turn it upside down to release the cake from the pan onto the rack. Place it over the foil or parchment and, using a skewer, poke holes about 2 inches into the cake. Slowly pour the syrup evenly over the top of the cake. Leave the cake to cool completely.
  11. Make the glaze by combining all of the ingredients above in a small bowl and whisk to combine and form a smooth even mixture. Drizzle the glaze over the cake slowly and evenly. Let it set and serve.

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Adapted from Smitten Kitchen via Cheese Curd in Paradise.

Meyer Lemon Pound Cake

25 Jan 2013 3 Comments

by sparksfromthekitchen in Dessert, Freezer, Prep-Ahead, Freeze then Cook, Thaw/Reheat & Serve Tags: ,

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm Meyer Lemons. The part tangerine tasting lemon that is the shape of an average lemon but a different color and different taste and smell.  See? Here they are below next to some navel oranges and below that you can see the contrast in color next to the yellow border of my dish. They’re closer in color to an orange than a lemon. Here’s a good article about them but, at the risk of sounding like a snob, they’re hardly undiscovered 🙂 And conveniently I have a pound cake pan with a lemon pattern on top. Cute no?

Note: this recipe calls for a few different additions of the lemons-juice, zest etc…get 3 large ones and that will be just enough.

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Meyer Lemon Pound Cake

For the cake:

  • 1 3/4 cups AP flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Meyer Lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Meter Lemon zest
  • 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 additional tbsp
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 5 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten

For the syrup:

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup Meyer Lemon juice

For the glaze:

  • 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
  • 1 tbsp Meyer Lemon juice

Instructions:.

  1. Preheat oven to 315F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine.  
  3. In a small bowl whisk the sour cream and lemon juice together.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the paddle attachment combine the lemon zest and sugar. Using your fingers rub them together until the sugar is moist and fragrant and evenly mixed together.  Add the butter to the bowl and beat on medium speed until very pale and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).  Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in th eggs in 3 additions, beating well after each addition until the mixture is smooth (stop to scrape down the bowl as needed). With the mixer on low alternately add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the sour cream mixture in 2, starting and ending with the dry.  Once all of the ingredients have been added scrape down the bowl then beat on low for another 30 seconds to combine.  Use a rubber spatula to make sure the batter in the bottom of the bowl is uniform.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top then tap the pan on a hard flat surface to release any air bubbles.
  6. Place a piece of aluminum foil under the cooling rack.
  7. Bake the cake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Place the pan on a wire cooling rack, let it cool for 10 minutes then turn it out onto the rack.
  8. While the cake is in the oven make the syrup.  Combine the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan cook over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved.  Bring to a simmer, cook for 2 minutes and then remove from heat and set aside.
  9. Once you’ve turned the cake out of the pan onto the rack brush the top and sides with the syrup.  Reuse any that falls below onto the foil below. Be sure to use all of the syrup. Then let the cake cool completely–about 2 hours.
  10. When the cake is cooled make the glaze by combining the confectioners sugar with the juice in a small bowl and stir to combine.  Drizzle it carefully over the cake covering it completely. Let the glaze set for 15 minutes before serving.

Source: Cook’s Country April/May 2006

I printed this from someone’s blog but didn’t write down who’s it was. If it’s yours please let me know.

 I drizzled a little extra juice that I had left over all over the cake after I poured on the glaze.

And don’t waste the left over pieces that you’ve squeezed-there’s still a ton of flavor in there-it would be a shame to throw out that deliciousness!!

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Note: this cake will keep for 5 days wrapped tightly at room temp for upto 5 days or freeze (unglazed) for up to 1 month.

Here is a photo of the cooling rack with foil underneath-the syrup will drip so it’s nice to catch all of it.

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