Lemon Pound Cake

A while ago I wanted a REALLY lemony cake.  No wimpy lemon flavor need apply.  I was perusing Martha Stewart and came across this cake that contains 4 ENTIRE lemons.  Oh yeah!  It was a little fussy, so I simplified it, but you can get the recipe at www.marthastewart.com/258493/bill-yossess-lemon-pound-cake.

Bill Yosses's Modified Lemon Pound Cake

Cake
4 lemons, Meyer, if you can get them
2 2/3 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c milk
6 large eggs
11 Tbsp butter, melted

Glaze
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. lemon juice

Make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350. Spray 2 loaf pans generously with cooking spray.  Grate zest from lemons; set aside.  Remove white pith from lemons.  Hold lemon over a bowl, and cut between the membranes into sections, allowing sections and any juice to fall into bowl.  Squeeze juice from membranes.  Repeat with remaining 3 lemons.  Sift flour, sugar, and baking powder into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Begin mixing on low speed, then add milk.  Increase speed to medium, and beat in eggs, one at time, beating to incorporate after each addition, then beat in butter.  Add lemon segments, juice, and grated zest.  Beat for about 30 seconds to combine and break up lemons a bit.  Pour evenly into pans.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out with moist crumbs.  Unmold cakes onto a wire rack set over a cookie sheet.

Make the glaze:
In a bowl, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice, stirring until combined.  While the cakes are still warm, brush sides and top with glaze.  Wait 5-10 minutes and brush with glaze again.  Repeat glazing process until glaze is used up.  Let cool completely and enjoy.

The technique for cutting the lemons is called supreming.  I'm sure you can see a video of someone doing it somewhere.  I use it all the time for citrus salads. It's a little daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's a really useful skill.

Pie + Cake = Pake

There's a silly little show I watch on the Lifetime channel called Drop Dead Diva. The main character's friend tried to make a pie, but the cookbook pages stuck together and she made a cake in a pie shell. Thus was born the pake. A lot of people expressed interest in making their own pakes, so they came up with a recipe (originally posted here):

Classic Pake Recipe

Ingredients:
2 Store bought frozen pie crusts
Store bought cake mix of your choice (we recommend Red Velvet)
Store bought frosting of your choice (we recommend Cream Cheese)
Eggs (as needed on cake box)
Vegetable Oil (as needed on cake box)
1/2 cup White or Dark chocolate chips (if desired)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Leave the frozen pie crust out to thaw while you are mixing the cake batter. [I made 2 pie crusts from scratch; they worked just fine.]
3. Prepare the cake batter per the instructions on the box.*Note: This will make enough filling for two Pakes. [I made a chocolate cake from scratch, adding 1 box of instant chocolate pudding so it wouldn't be too dry.]
4. Gently poke a few small holes in the bottom of the pie crust, being careful not to poke through the tin.
5. Pour half of the cake batter into each pie crust, approx. 1/2” below the edge. *Note: the cake mix will raise above the edge of the pie crust during baking.
6. Mix in chocolate chips if desired. [I wish I had done this.]
7. Place the Pake on a cookie sheet, and place in the oven on a middle rack.
8. Bake for approx. 35 minutes at 350°F. After 35 minutes, turn oven down to 325°F and continue baking for another 12-15 minutes or until cake is finished. (You can test the cake by sticking a toothpick in the center and pulling it out. It should be relatively clean with very little cake crumbs stuck to it.) [My pake needed another 10 minutes, totaling 25 minutes at 325° F]
9. Let the pake cool completely.
10. If desired, cut the top section of the cake off and place a layer of frosting (or filling of your choice) on the lower half of the cake. Replace the top section. [I did not do this and didn't miss it.]
11. Scoop the remaining frosting onto the cake and frost to the edge of the pie crust. [1 can of frosting is the perfect amount for 2 pakes.]
12. Garnish with dollops of whipped cream around the edges, sprinkles, candy pieces or a cherry (as desired). [Whipped cream would have been good on it. I used sprinkles on one, and pecans, mint chocolate chips, and drizzled caramel on the other.]

Here are my results:

One plain, one frosted

Samuel said, "Delicious!"

Strawberry Cake

With a surprise snowstorm in the middle of March, I needed a taste of summer. As a result, this cake just kind of came together. It was easy to make but took some time for refrigeration. I think it turned out very yummy. Everyone else seemed to like it, too.


Strawberry Cool Whip Cake

1 box strawberry jell-o
1 container cool whip, thawed
1 box strawberry cake mix
1 pint strawberries, washed & sliced

1. Frosting: Make the jell-o according to directions on the box. After adding the cold water, fold in the thawed cool whip. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.
2. Make cake according to directions on box. Allow to cool completely.
3. If layering the cake, then spread a bit of the frosting on top of the first cake, then place the second cake on top of it. Use the rest of the frosting on the entire cake; the frosting will get a bit runny as you work with it. Refrigerate finished cake.
4. Garnish the cake with the sliced strawberries.

Turtle Cake

This is one of Dominic's favorite cakes, which translates to very rich and chocolaty.

Note: For ease of transcribing recipes, I'll just write milk. For those with a milk allergy or intolerance, I replace the milk in all my recipes with a non-dairy coffee creamer, which works fine.

1 chocolate cake mix
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
5 T butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup caramel topping
1 cup pecans, crushed

1) Bake cake mix according to the package directions, using a 9x13" pan.
2) Toast pecans on a cookie sheet in a single layer @ 400 degrees for about 8 minutes. Put chocolate chips in a bowl; set aside.
3) In a small saucepan, mix sugar and milk over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add butter and bring to a boil; pour over chips. Stir until smooth.
4) Spread warm chocolate mixture over the cooled cake. Drizzle caramel over the chocolate. Sprinkle with pecans.

Serve warm or cooled.