Lemon Pound Cake

Happy Easter!! This year, I decided I'd bring pound cake for shortcake rather than angel food cake. Mostly due to my absolutely irrational fear of egg whites. I didn't want to go through that again. So, pound cake it is! It holds up a bit better anyways to the mounds of strawberries I generally pile on (I like a little pound cake with my strawberries and whipped cream!). I also had some cute little mini-bundt pans that I wanted to try. Which kind of failed, since one fell apart while baking.. but still turned out pretty awesome!

Exhibit A: 

Finished product (my camera makes it look darker than it is, it really is only golden brown!):

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)

1/2 cup shortening (room temp)

3 cups sugar

6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp butter flavoring
3 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup milk
zest and juice of one large lemon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º. 

Cream butter, shortening and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time, and extracts with last egg. Mix well after each addition. Add 1 cup flour and the baking powder (and salt, if using), mix. Add half and half, followed by another cup of flour, then milk, then remaining 1 cup flour. Add lemon zest and juice, mix until everything is well combined. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan or two loaf pans. (I used five of these, though there is only four in a package. If you're going to use these, I would recommend reinforcing the sides if you can, and definitely put them on a baking sheet while they're in the oven.) Bake for 40-45 minutes for mini bundt pans, or 50-55 for the larger pans, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and cakes are golden brown on top. Let cool for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing. You WILL wind up with a mess otherwise. 

Lemon Blackberry Cake

Well, hubby's birthday has come and gone, but I managed to snap a few pictures of the cake I had made for him. I needed to use up some blackberries I had gotten, and he wanted a fruit-filled cake. Have I mentioned lately he's my favorite person? No? Well, he is. And a happy, happy birthday to you, my dear.

Okay. Done with the mush. Ready for cake? DELICIOUS cake?

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1c cup sugar
2 eggs
Zest of 1 large lemon (about 1tbsp)
Juice of 1 large lemon (about 1-2 tbsp)
1 tbsp vanilla (yes, a full TABLESPOON)
1/2 cup milk

Filling:
2 cups fresh blackberries (can also use frozen)
1/2-3/4 cup sugar (depending on how good your berries are)
2-3 tbsp corn starch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Frosting:
4oz cream cheese, softened
4tbsp butter, softened
1/2cup filling mixture
2-4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease and flour two 8" round cake pans, set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla, lemon zest and juice. Add flour mixture in alternating batches with milk, beating until well incorporated after each addition. Divide mixture between the two pans and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature.

For the filling:
In a medium sauce pan, combine blackberries and sugar, bring almost to a boil while stirring often. Add corn starch 1 tbsp at a time, waiting about 2 minutes between each addition, stirring constantly and checking for consistency. When done, it should be about the same consistency as jam. Stir in lemon juice and cinnamon, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. 

For the frosting:
Cream together cream cheese and butter until pale and fluffy. Add the cooled filling mixture and blend well. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Keep in a cool place until use.

To assemble:
Level the layer of cake that you will be using for the bottom. To do so, use a serrated knife held horizontally that sits just above the outer edges at both sides of the knife and saw back and forth gently until you get to the other side of the cake with it. Remove the remnants and discard (or if no one is looking, take a piece and dunk it in your filling mixture that is cooling.. YUM!). Using a piping bag, put a ring of frosting around the very outer edge of your bottom layer. Fill the rest of the area in the ring with the filling mixture. Place the second layer on top gently. Top with a large dollop of your frosting and spread it gently to and over the sides of the cake. Frost the sides next. Add details if desired.

Please excuse my frosting job. I ran out of powdered sugar, so it wasn't quite as stiff as I would have liked, and it was rather humid and warm while I was making it. It melted a bit. I had to refrigerate my cake between steps, along with my frosting. That being said, it was absolutely delicious. I also made some into cupcakes to share. I scooped out a bit of the center of the cupcakes once they cooled, filled with the filling mixture (I did not replace the center piece like I do with my Salted Caramel cupcakes since this filling isn't quite as sickeningly sweet) and topped with a beautiful mauve mound of frosting. My sister devoured at least four mini cupcakes the night I made them. They're pretty good. 

Chocolate Angel Food Cake

I found this recipe a couple months ago, and decided it was definitely an Easter recipe. My family is big on strawberry shortcake. As in, a hunk of angel food cake smothered in smushed strawberries (I know, very technical, right?), and a pile of whipped cream on top. Yep. Fancy. I know. My family is also pretty big on chocolate, so of course the idea of this went over pretty well. 

The original recipe was from Pillsbury. I really didn't change anything, other than using my cheap substitute for cake flour (regular flour with a little corn starch added in). 

Ingredients:

12 egg whites (room temp)

1 1/2 cup sugar, divided

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup cake flour (or 3/4 cup regular flour with about 1 tsp corn starch mixed in)

1/3 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375º.

Whip egg whites until foamy, add cream of tartar and salt. Continue beating until stiff, adding 3/4 cup sugar, one tbsp at a time. 

Gently fold in flour, cocoa powder, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 at a time. Fold in vanilla. 

Pour into an angel food cake pan with a removable bottom. Even out the top, and place in the oven to bake for 33-37 minutes. Invert pan after removing from oven. Don't worry, it won't fall out. I promise. It's wonderfully sticky. 

After the cake is cooled, run a sharp knife around the outside edge of the cake to loosen it, invert onto a plate. Next, run a sharp knife between the cake and the bottom of the pan that came out with it. Flip once more, and VOILA. Chocolate angel food cake!

I'm trying desperately to be good and not dig into this, but I will definitely post reviews within the next couple of days as to how it turned out. 


******Later that weekend******

Poor light, fluffy cake. It never saw it's demise coming.. RIP moist, wonderful, chocolatey cake. 

**NOTE**
If you find yourself needing a way to not waste the egg yolks that you have leftover, take a peek at this site. There are recipes for 1-12 egg yolks available!