Posts Tagged ‘lemon’

Did you ever see one of those recipes that you just had to try/have?

This is one of them.

One day ago (as my daughter so sweetly says when retelling a story), I was feeding my Pinterest addiction and found a picture for layered lemonade cake…..holly bagolie. (when I get excited I tend to make up words)

The next thing I know, I am in the car headed to the store to get some ingredients. Now this is a big deal in itself because I HATE to go to the store, especially for just a few things. But there I was on the way to the store.

Once home I gathered my composure and ingredients and got to work.

This is hands down the best cake I have ever had. Incredibly moist, dense yet at the same time airy. The lemon isn’t to ‘slap your mama’ tart but nice and……lemony.

After consuming 1/2 the cake by my self next I want to try making it with some cherries (kinda like a cherry lemonade) or…..or….even better strawberry……oh my oh my. The possibilities are endless with this.

For the frosting I just whipped up the same base as the Oreo Cupcakes I made a while ago. Instead of crushed Oreo I put some lemon rind and more of the lemonade in.

Now that I think about it crushed Oreos would be incredible with/in this.  Back to the kitchen to make more variations.

Lemonade Cake

Adapted from myrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 6 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 Tbsp lemon rind, grated (about ½ a lemons worth)
• 3 ½ Tbsp lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 3 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 ¼ cup buttermilk

For the Frosting

• 5 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ Tbsp lemon rind, grated
• 1 cup butter
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking dish .
2. In a gallon sized Ziploc bag combine, flour, baking powder and soda and salt. Shake to mix and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream butter and sugars together. Add vanilla, lemon rind and lemonade. Mix until combine.
4. Add eggs and egg whites one at a time, mixing completely in between.
5. Add flour and buttermilk alternately into sugar mix. Mix well after each addition.
6. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake for 25 min, or until tooth pick (or I use a spaghetti) comes out clean.
7. Remove and cool completely.
8. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. In a saucepan, whisk flour, lemon rind, milk and buttermilk. Stir constantly. Mixture will be thick. Remove from heat and let cool to room temp.
9. In a large bowl cream butter and both regular sugar and brown sugar. Add vanilla, lemonade and powdered sugar. Add cooled flour mix and beat. If it looks separated, you didn’t beat it enough.
10. Frost cooled cake and store in fridge. Million time better cold.

With summer FAST approaching us here in AZ (and by fast we have already reached 100 one day in Phoenix) that means a few things to my family…..camping, vacations, swimming…..tons and tons of swimming,

Brick oven cooking (courtesy of my handsome hubby)

And for some reason lemons. Gallons and gallons of lemonade (homemade…no powder junk), lemon bars (or lime) and lemon meringue pie.

Now this is the first time EVER I have made lemon meringue pie….usually we just con someone else into making it

I was (as well as everyone else) pleasantly surprised at how tasty this was.

It wasn’t hard at all.

First, prepare and form your graham cracker crust.

Pop in freezer while you make the filling and meringue.

Zest 1 lemon

Naked Lemon

Slice and juice zested lemon and other lemons

Add all filling into a large sauce pan and simmer over medium heat, until nice and thick.

Pour into crust and pop in your fridge.

Now lets make some of the easiest meringue ever with this stuff

I found this at Williams Sonoma

Once it is ready place on top and spread evenly to the edges.

Pop in your over, set to low broil. Watch it very carefully, you just want the top to brown. Mine only took about 5 min.

Remove let cool and place in fridge. Refrigerate for at least 20 min (best if overnight).

This pie was (yes was) fabulous. The meringue tasted almost like toasted marshmallows. The lemon filling was smooth and refreshing and don’t get me started on the crust……

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups gram cracker crumbs (about 38 crackers)
• 2 ½   cup sugar
• 12 Tbsp melted butter
• 4 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 3)
• 3 Tbsp lemon zest (from one lemon)
• 3 Tbsp butter, cold
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 cups water
• ¼ cup meringue powder

Directions

1. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring ½ cup water to a boil and add ¾ cup sugar. Whisk until dissolved (1-2 min). Remove and let cool to room temp.
2. For the crust: In a large bowl combine gram cracker crumbs,1 tsp vanilla, ½ cup sugar and the 12 tbsp melted butter. Press into a 9-inch spring form pan. Pop in freezer.
3. For the Filling: In a large saucepan combine cornstarch, 1 ¼ cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, salt. Whisk in 1 ½ cups water, lemon juice and zest until fully incorporated.
4. Add egg yolks and butter. Stir with spatula until butter has completely melted and mixture is nice and thick.
5. Pour into crust and pop in fridge.
6. Turn your oven broiler on to the lowest setting.
7. In the bowl of an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, pour in sugar mixture from earlier. Add vanilla and meringue powder. Beat on medium high heat until it starts to thicken, then increase speed to high. Continue to mix until stiff peaks form (about 5-7 min).
8. Top lemon filled pie with meringue and pop into a oven with the broiler on low. Watch it very carefully; you just want the top to brown (about 5 min).
9. Remove and stick in fridge for 20 min. For best results over night.