Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberry Compote

Welcome Spring! I decided today that spring is here and winter is over. I like to decide these things sometimes, and then i just move along as though it were true. For me, it is! Anyways, I wore capris today and my summer flats... let it begin!


Baking this cake really put me in the mood for spring. The lemon flavor and getting to see so many strawberries while there is still snow on the ground was a breath of spring air! And I actually have been debating whether or not i should post recipes for everything I make... but this one just is TOO GOOD NOT TO SHARE. Seriously. Ask Melissa if you don't believe me.


So here it is, in it's entirety. I must tell you though, don't bake this cake if you don't have a good amount of time on your hands. It took me the better part of yesterday and then i still had to make the whipped cream today. I had a lot of fun though, the kids helped me and then Melissa helped me with the picture taking adventure today. I'll tell ya what, for me, taking the pictures is 75% of the fun of doing this!



First off, I need to give credit where credit is due. I found this recipe on another blog and only modified it slightly.

Ingredients:

Lemon Pound Cake
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 sticks salted butter at room temperature
1 3/4 AND 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 TB lemon zest
1 tsp pure lemon extract
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (i cheated, i only used half fresh, cause i didn't have enough! but it tasted just fine anyways :)

Strawberry Compote
3 pints fresh strawberries, washed, patted dry and sliced
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Whipped Cream
16 oz heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners sugar


Preparation:

Cake
- Preheat oven to 300F
- Butter and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt
- Cream the butter and 1 3/4 cups sugar until pale and fluffy
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
- Reduce the speed and add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk
- Stir in the lemon zest and lemon extract
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean
- Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes
- Poke holes all over the cake using a wooden skewer
- Meanwhile, bring the lemon juice and remaining sugar to a boil over medium high heat in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar is dissolved
- Invert the cake onto a rack, position over a baking sheet and slowly pour the syrup over the cake, it will seap through the holes and into the cake
- Let cool to room temp


Strawberry Compote
- In a non-reactive saucepan, over medium heat, combine 2 pints of the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice
- Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the fruit is soft, about 8 to 10 minutes
- Remove from the heat and cool
- In a food processor, fitted with a metal blade, puree the strawberries until smooth
- Turn into a mixing bowl, and when ready to serve add the remaining sliced strawberries
- Mix well

oh my goodness

it's another cake... and it's in the making. It's a good thing i have found venues to get rid of these things... otherwise i would be in deep trouble!

Wordless Wednesday with a Twist - part 2

It's that time again. Today's theme is "where you live." I was wondering how in the world i was going to get out and take these pictures... since it is disgustingly cold. and I know that the rules said we could use old pics... but i really didn't have anything worthwhile. So on my way home from work one late afternoon, I couldn't help but notice how perfect the light and the sun were. A rarity around here I try to take advantage of! So off i went and took a very cold walk around the village and this is what i came up with.

After you take a look at where I live, head on over to Rachel's site and check out everyone else's.

highly amusing...

...at least i thought it was. this lovely weather we've been having breeds a certain kind of restlessness in children. it almost seems as though there are not enough crafts or activities that could outlast this horrible winter... at least not any that i can handle doing for any length of time. heavens knows that if i am sick of all our projects, then for sure the kids are too! So i came in this morning to find the bounce house set up in the front room. This thing literally takes up the entire room. wall to wall... and not quite to the ceiling, but dangerously close to the light fixture up there. But guess what! it's works! it totally works! they love it, and it ate away a good hour of fun today.


For some reason today though, andy was being extremely dare-devilish. I often have a certain conversation with him and it goes like this:

Me: you know buddy, you need to take it easy. you're going to hurt yourself if you don't start being more careful.

Him: I not manna, i bein careful and I not get hurt.

Yah, and then he gets hurt... and the crying begins, and he climbs into my lap to make it stop hurting. On my meaner side i almost wanna be like Ha, i told ya so kid, so suck it up! but the other (not fully formed "mom") side of me is like Oh i could just hold you like this forever, and you can cry as long as you want.

There has to be a happy medium.

But, word to the wise. "It's probably not a good idea to lay down in a jump house while your two older and much larger sisters are jumping in it."

Here is the proof that it happened just that way.

On the other hand, I tried to get some cute pictures of the three of them... all did not go as ideally as i would have liked. but are kids ever really ideal? what the heck does that mean anyways? At any rate, i did manage to capture their personalities, which i would dare say is more exciting than ideal.

They really don't have any personality at all

and now for my personal favorite...

i like to eat

eat eat stawberries and bananas... well that's not quite the way it goes. but it works. and it was yummy in my tummy this morning :)

German Black Forest Cake - the one I actually made!

It's finally done... it seems a little long in coming, since i changed so many things along the way. But I have completed this baking project and it's time to share. I have to say something about this... even though noone probably cares, i notice, and i care! This pictures aren't as exciting as I would have liked them to be. I had a time limit factor, transportation issues and the extreme fact that the sun didn't shine at all yesterday! So they are what they are, and while they are nice, they just aren't as nice as i would like. But here ya go...


Ingredients:

German Chocolate Cake
2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening or butter
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling

Whipped Cream Frosting
24 oz heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Garnish
about 1/3 cup shaved chocolate
maraschino or fresh stemmed cherries


Preparation:

Cake
- Grease two 9 inch cake pans lined on bottom with waxed or parchment paper
- Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl; stir until well mixed
- Add shortening, eggs, milk and vanilla; beat mixture 3 minutes at low speed of electric mixer scraping bowl occasionally
- Pour batter into pans. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean
- Cool cake in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely
- Split cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers
- (optional) Make fine crumbs using 1 cake layer; set crumbs aside
- Cake can be made one day ahead of time if you want


Frosting and assembly
- Using a vegetable peeler, or whatever works best for you, shave the chocolate. I did this ahead of time while i was watching tv as it was probably the most time consuming part... I wonder if you can buy shaved chocolate somewhere??
- Beat whipping cream until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. - Place 1 cake layer on cake platter; spread with 1 cup whipped cream and top with 3/4 cup cherry pie filling
- *TIP* to keep filling from leaking out the sides, you can take a ziploc bag and fill it with some of the whipped cream. Then cut a hole in the corner and pipe an edge around the cake. This creates a barrier for the filling and makes assembly a little simpler
- Repeat with second layer and then top with third cake layer
- Frost sides and top with whipped cream, reserving some for garnish
- (optional) Pat cake crumbs generously around sides of cake
- Using a gallon sized zip loc bag, attach a star shaped piping tip by cutting one of the corners off and screwing the tip on just like any other bag (I did this because I didn't have any more bags, and actually found that it worked just as well and costs quite a bit less!)
- You can decorate the top however you like, but I squeezed about 14 blobs onto the top and then placed a maraschino cherry in the center of each. This way the portions are already determined
- Chill before serving

the birthday present

I don't know about you, but there aren't many kid birthday presents that I truly covet...


Well, I found one. It's the Klutz Room Lanterns kit. A simple string of lights with a book filled with patterns to make the lights into the cutest lanterns! There are 8 different designs and each one makes 10 little lanterns. I got this for Sydney's bday a few weeks ago, and we put them together a few days later.


I am a huge fan of this kind of lights. They brighten up any room and add an element of romance and sparkle. They are so easy to put together, but at the same time, they aren't as flimsy as you might think. I am so tempted to get some for myself!

Deconstructed Black Forest Cake - minus pics :(

Last week I posted what I hoped to be my next great baking adventure. Click here to see it if you haven't already. Unfortunately, I am not going to be making this particular recipe... but I plan to keep it in my archive for the next dinner party I get a chance to sweeten :) And I am also making a less exciting version of Black Forest cake on Friday, and i will for sure post pictures of that! But it would not be fair if I didn't post this other recipe at all, since it is indeed one of the coolest dessert ideas ever... at least i think so

So here are the directions, and at the end are my comments on what I would potentially change.


TREND: Deconstructed desserts (breaking down a dish into its essential components, then serving the parts as a whole)

WHAT: The elements of Black Forest Cake — chocolate cake and pudding, cherries, whipped cream, and kirsch — are reimagined as sensuous, separate bites and sips.

Servings: Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
2/3 cup sour cream
3/4 cup hot coffee

Chocolate fudge pots
2 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Pinch of salt
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar

Cherry Compote
4 cups frozen (unthawed) pitted cherries (about 1 pound)
2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2/3 cup dry red wine

Other Miscellaneous Ingredients
Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup chilled whipping cream
Chilled kirsch (clear cherry brandy)

PreparationFor cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Butter 14x10x1-inch rimmed baking sheet. Line sheet with parchment; butter paper
- Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth
- Add sugar and eggs; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes
- Mix in next 4 ingredients
- Beat in flour alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each
- Gradually add hot coffee; mix until smooth (batter will be thin)
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes
- Cool cake in pan on rack
- Cover and chill until cold, about 4 hours (Can be made 1 day ahead)

For chocolate fudge pots
- Preheat oven to 325°F
- Place chocolate in bowl
- Bring cream and salt just to boil in medium saucepan
- Pour over chocolate; whisk until melted
- Whisk yolks and sugar in bowl to blend; whisk in hot chocolate mixture
- Transfer mixture to same saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until slightly thickened, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes (do not boil)
- Divide chocolate custard among ten 1/3-cup ramekins (about 1/4 cup in each)
- Place ramekins in large roasting pan
- Add enough water to pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover pan tightly with foil.
- Bake until custards are almost set, about 37 minutes
- Remove ramekins from pan; cool 15 minutes. Chill uncovered until cold, about 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

For cherry compote
- Stir cherries and 2/3 cup sugar in large saucepan over medium heat 2 minutes
- Add wine; simmer until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes
- Drain cherries over medium bowl; return juices to saucepan and reserve cherries in same bowl
- Boil juices until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes
- Pour over cherries; cool

Assembly
- Using 3-inch-diameter cookie cutter and dipping edges of cutter into cocoa powder, cut 10 rounds from cold cake
- Let cakes come to room temperature
- Using electric mixer, whip cream and 1 teaspoon sugar in bowl until peaks form
- Pour kirsch into 10 small glasses
- Place 1 cake, 1 chocolate fudge pot, spoonful of cherries, whipped cream, and glass of kirsch on each of 10 plates and serve



So here are my two cents... as i haven't actually made this, I can only offer opinions. I read that the cherries can be substituted for canned cherries, cherry pie filling, or if you're feeling healthy, then organic fresh cherries. Each variation would probably make a pretty significant difference, so it's pretty much up to you. The only other thing I read that really stood out was the use of the kirsch. I have never actually tried the stuff... but i've heard that it's like fire water. There were reviews on this recipe where people had used the kirsch, and others where they did not. Both had good things to say. I think honestly that it's a matter of taste... it could possibly balance out the sweetness of everything else... but i suspect that you could substitute something else... just not sure what :)

Anyways, if YOU make this recipe, I want to see it!

the boy is too cute

no... this boy is not one my size, or even close to my age. In fact he's a good 2 feet shorter than I and about 19 years younger than I. Yep, you got it. Little andy is one of my best buds and I spend more time with him than just about anyone else in my life right now.

The other day we were driving in the car when all of a sudden he shouted out, "MANNA WOOK! Dat tree has no leaves on it!!!"

I laughed a little, but not enough for him to notice, and then said back to him, "Yah! Look at all the rest of the trees. Do you see any leaves anywhere?"

And in unfaked awe he looked around to discover that there were indeed no leaves to be seen. He then said, "how that happen manna?!"

I went on to explain how in the fall all the leaves die and the trees are bare all winter long, but in the spring new leaves will grow and we will see them all summer long.

And his response was simply this... and you have to imagine him saying it with the most amazed and shocked, yet quiet and thoughtful voice... "oh my gooosh."

this is one of the best parts of getting to watch little kids grow up :)

i wish

that i had some pictures to post. But since I don't, I am going to write about the things that make me feel good. And since I don't feel really good right now, it will be easy to come up with a list of things that do :)


The very top of the list will be...

Days like today. When I walk out of the house, and the sun is completely up... and i didn't wear a jacket (just a stolen sweatshirt from my brother), i could hear the birdies, and although there is snow on the ground, it's just warm enough that it's starting to melt promising more days to come like this one.

Afternoons and coffee spoons, one of the songs on my playlist right now. I looked up the lyrics, and they don't make a whole lotta sense, but i like the melody. it makes me feel better... and i think it's about being sick haha!

Scrapbooking. I got all my stuff out today and did 2 whole pages! I guess if i had my camera, that's something I could post... but i don't!

the color green.

the color pink.

the color green and pink together.

flowers that are green and pink.

Flowers. Especially when they are popping through the soil in the spring. It's just the beginning of my love affair with them though. the few months of winter where they are scarce are what make them such a treat when they come back!

I love laying in the grass in the summer. Especially this last summer with the kids. We would take a blanket out in the yard and the girls and I would lay on it and read... or just talk. I love that.

Reading a good book.

When the sun is shining like it is today, I make sure to go out on the porch for a few minutes and ingest some vitamin D. It does the body... and the soul good.


There's a lot more I could come up with, but those are top on the list right now. What are some of the things that make you feel better?