0 Lemon Curd Cake

Like the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or in my case, lemon coconut macaroons, chiffon cake, sables au citron, lemon bars, french yogurt cake and this lemon curd cake from Emily Luchetti. It's not a cake with alternating layers of cake and curd like the name may imply. Instead the lemon curd is incorporated into the batter.

I learned to make this cake about 10 years ago when I attended a baking class taught by Emily Luchetti in Berkeley, California. I don't remember much about the class itself, but I do remember loving the cake (and the other desserts) she made for us. Of course, I went home, signed cookbook in tow, and proceeded to make the cake for my family. They thought it was just a plain 'ole lemon cake but, as a lemon lover, I knew it was so much more.



There's an almost custard-like quality to this cake which I can only assume comes from the addition of lemon curd to the cake batter. The cake's appearance is so simple, but the taste just screams "lemon". It can take you by surprise if you're not expecting it. My co-worker said that it was so lemony that it couldn't be made from real lemons. But I assured her that no artificial flavorings were involved. Just the goodness of fresh lemons.

And I want to thank my dear husband for taking care of our meyer lemon tree so that it can continue to produce tons of juicy fragrant lemons year after year. I might complain about the abundance of lemons but it's better than complaining about not having enough. And there is something so satisfying knowing that we grew them ourselves.

When he pruned the tree last month, we got over 50 pounds of lemons. Yup, we weighed them. That's not bad for a couple of city folk with one tiny little tree. Our meyer lemons aren't pretty to look at but, boy, do they taste good! We had a lot of people willing to take them off our hands and the lemons were all gone in a blink of the eye. Hopefully this will be last time I post something lemon until next season's crop. Although I can't be 100% sure since we still have fruit on the tree.


before (above) and after (below) pruning



Lemon Curd Cake
(from Emily Luchetti's Four-Star Desserts)

Curd Ingredients
4 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Cake Ingredients
2 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/4 cup granulated sugar (divided into 3/4 cup & 1 1/2 cup)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp (=half stick=2 oz) unsalted butter, softened at room temp.
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
6 large egg whites

To make the lemon curd
Fill a medium pot 1/3 full of water and bring to a very low boil.

In a medium heatproof bowl whisk together egg yolks, egg, 1/2 cup sugar. Whisk in 1/2 cup lemon juice.

Set the bowl over the pot of water making sure water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick, about 10 minutes.

Strain the curd into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd (to prevent a skin from forming). Chill curd until cold (but it's okay to chill it until it's cooled down to room temperature).

To make the cake
Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round x 3-inch high cake pan.

Sift together cake flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside dry ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together butter, lemon juice, zest, and cooled lemon curd. Stir in dry ingredients.

Using the whisk attachment, in the bowl of a stand mixer beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Increase speed to high and gradually add the 1 1/2 cup sugar. Whip until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into batter.

Spread batter into you prepared cake pan. Bake at 325F until cake tester comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Cool on rack and then remove cake from pan.

Dust with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar if desired.

0 Blackberry Pie

When the CFO of my company came into my office and presented me with a huge ziploc bagful of gorgeous blackberries just picked from the brambles in his backyard, I knew I had to make him a pie to show my thanks. I had to exercise some restraint after eating about a third of the blackberries straight from the bag or I wouldn't have any berries left for the pie.

I went home that evening and started right away on making the pie dough since I knew there would be some periods of resting (not for me but for the dough). Since I've never made a blackberry pie before, I turned to Rose Levy Beranbaum and hoped that she would have a recipe in her tome "The Pie and Pastry Bible". Sure enough, she had a simple and straightforward recipe for blackberry pie. From the many (and I do mean many!) pie crust recipes in her book, she recommended her basic flaky pie crust for the blackberry pie.

Rose explains that the secret behind her basic flaky pie crust is that the butter is added in 2 stages. First the butter is cut in to 3/4-inch cubes and divided into 2 portions. The larger portion of butter (which has been refrigerated) is finely incorporated into the flour. This helps keep the flour from absorbing too much water and from making gluten. Too much gluten will make the pastry tough. The smaller portion of butter (which has been frozen) is incorporated in larger pieces. These larger pieces of butter will end up in layers with the flour and, when baked, will separate and become very flaky pie crust layers.

I always have trouble rolling out pie dough. Mine always ends up looking more like Illinois or Maine than a circle. But despite my deficiencies in rolling, the dough was a joy to handle. Because I rolled it out larger than I needed and trimmed away the ragged edges, my dough was a bit thinner than the 1/8-inch called for in the recipe. But it wasn't so thin that it tore. When baked, the crust was just thick enough to hold all that yummy fruit filling when sliced, but still quite tender. And it was just as flaky as Rose said it would be too! That Rose really knows her stuff. I'm sure that with time and practice, I can improve my pie dough rolling skills using this delightful pie crust recipe.



Blackberry Pie
(from Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Pie & Pastry Bible)
(makes one 9-inch pie)

Flaky Pie Crust (see recipe below)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used a bit sugar less since my berries were super sweet)
2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
pinch of salt
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pound fresh blackberries

Remove one disc of pie dough from the refrigerator for the bottom crust. If it's too hard to roll, let it sit out for about 10 minutes. Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick and about 12 inches in diameter. Carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the dough edge to about even with the edge of the pan. Cover with plastic and let dough rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest. Whisk in the lemon juice to make a slurry. Add the blackberries and gently toss the berries to coat with the slurry. Be careful not to crush the berries. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Toss the berries once more and then pour the mixture into the bottom crust.

Roll out the remaining disk of dough to about 12-14 inches in diameter. Cut a 12-inch diameter circle from the dough for the top crust. Moisten the edges of the bottom crust with water and gently place the top crust over the berries. Tuck the overhang under the bottom crust and press down to seal the two crusts. Crimp the border with your fingers or with the times of a fork. With the tip of a knife, cut 3-5 slits in the top crust to allow steam to vent. (Or if you prefer, before covering the fruit with your top crust, using a decorative cutter to cut out whatever shape you like. Save the cut outs to place on top of the pie before baking).

Cover pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour before baking. This rest will allow the pastry to rest so that it remains flaky and to help keep the crust from shrinking.

Set your oven rack to the lowest position. This helps to ensure that your bottom crust is completely baked. Preheat over to 425F. Place your pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any juice. You may want to line your baking sheet with foil or parchment for easier clean up. Bake at 425F for 30-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. (Check the pie after 30 minutes and protect the edges from over browning with a ring of foil if necessary.)

Allow pie to cool on a rack for at least 4 hours before serving.

Flaky Pie Crust
(from Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Pie & Pastry Bible)
(makes 21 ounces dough - enough pastry for a two-crust 9-inch pie)

7 ounces (14 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
11.25 ounces (2 1/4 cups) bleached all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
5 to 7 tbsp ice water
1 tbsp cider vinegar

Divide the 7 ounces (14 tbsp) of butter into 2 portions: 4.5 ounces and 2.5 ounces (9 tbsp and 5 tbsp). Refrigerate the 4.5 ounce portion and freeze the 2.5 ounce portion for at least 30 minutes.

Place the flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade. Process for a few seconds to combine.

Add the 4.5 ounces of (refrigerated) butter and process for about 20 seconds or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the 2.5 ounces of (frozen) butter and pulse until the frozen butter is the size of peas.

Add the 5 tbsp of ice water and the vinegar and pulse 6-7 times. Pinch a small amount of the mixture to see if it holds together. If not, add another 1 tbsp water and pulse 3 times. Try pinching again to see if it holds together. If not, add the final 1 tbsp water and pulse 3 times.

Divide the dough in half. Wrap each portion with plastic wrap and flatten into discs. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

0 Round Em' Up - Sugar High Friday

Even though it's technically August, I'm excited to (finally) post the July Sugar High Friday 33 "Tropical Paradise" round up. To start, I would like to thank the creator and doyenne of SHF, Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess. Secondly, I'd like to apologize for the delay. I'm touched by all the well wishes for a speedy recovery from my back problems. I'm doing much better now, but I have to remind myself to still take it slow for a while. And last but not least, I'd like to extend a warm and sunny "thank you!" to all the lovely bloggers who participated with their amazing tropical paradise sweets.

Without further delay, let the round up begin! (BTW, entries are listed in no particular order.)


Melody at Fruit Tart
Illinois, US
Melody reminisces about Caribbean mangos and the wonderful scent of Hawaiian pineapple plantations during harvest with her tropical paradise tart.
~*~

Amy at Nook and Pantry
Seattle, Washington, US
Amy creates a refreshing mango lime curd tart with a flaky pate sucree as a sweet farewell to her friend Julia.
~*~

Abby at Eat the Right Stuff
London, UK
Growing up in Malawi, Abby would often be found in the strawberry patch. Her strawberry granita reminds her of her former home in the tropics.
~*~

Boo_licious at Masak-Masak
Malaysia
Boo_licious scratches her itch to try out a newly acquired cookbook by making pancakes filled with durian cream. Durian is a notoriously "fragrant" tropical fruit.
~*~

Cakelaw at Laws of the Kitchen
Melbourne, Australia
Even though it's winter down under, Cakelaw beckons the sun with the sunny colors of a frangipani pie.
~*~

babe_kl at Babe in the City – KL
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Babe_kl is fortunate enough to live in a tropical paradise. Her mango and nata de coco konnyaku jelly glistens like gems in the sun.
~*~

Meeta at What's For Lunch, Honey?
Weimar, Germany
Meeta has got her 80's groove on with her tropicana cream and summer berries.
~*~

Mehgan at A Craving For Perfection
Seattle, Washington, US
Mehgan's got a "rawkin' tan" from a recent Mexican vacation and shares a recipe for cocadas.
~*~

Ivonne at Cream Puffs in Venice
Toronto, Canada
After consuming what Ivonne described as "the best mojito ever" during her Miami vacation, she was consumed with the idea creating of a mojito cupcake. These cupcakes are too cute for words!
~*~

Pille at Nami-nami
Estonia
I'd love to have a slice of Pille's Caribbean banana cake with candied ginger nibbles.
~*~

Haalo at Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once
Melbourne, Australia
It's the middle of winter in Australia but Haalo channels the tropics with the cutest pineapple upside down cakelets.
~*~

Becke at Columbus Foodie
Columbus, Ohio, US
Becke tempts with a satisfying yet light tropical coconut creme caramel with pineapple concasee (sans basil).
~*~

Brilynn at Jumbo Empanadas
Canada
Brilynn whips up her tropical mango treat. It's even topped with a floral umbrella!
~*~

Kate at A Way to Eat
Vermont, US
Kate's coconut cream tart is the logical solution to tropical = Morrocco + coconuts.
~*~

Tigerfish at Teczcape - An Escape to Food
California, US
Tigerfish presents a fresh fruit medley in the cutest orange cups.
~*~

Mark Manguerra at No Special Effects
Manila, Philippines
Mark's chocolate crepes with mangos and Nutella is a combination made in paradise.
~*~

Amy at Tart Reform
Washington D.C., US
Amy's chilled cherry soup is a precursor to the delicious food she will enjoy on her upcoming cruise to a tropical paradise.
~*~

Hannah at Printer & Piemaker: Recipes
Albany, California, US
A stunning black rice pudding with fresh pineapple and coconut milk is offered by Hannah from across the bay in Albany.
~*~

Virtual Frolic
New York, New York, US
Virtual Frolic's swingle sorbet might be hard to say 3 times fast, but it definitely won't be hard to eat.
~*~

Sarina at TriniGourmet
Trinidad
It's mango season in Trinidad and Sarina rediscovers her local tropical fruit with a delicious streusel topped mango cake.
~*~

Steph at A Whisk and A Spoon
Sydney, Australia
Steph, armed with a bounty of fruit from her market, coined the phrase "tropicaliness" to describe her magazine cover worthy tropical pavlova.
~*~

Helene at Tartelette
Charleston, South Carolina, US
The talented Helene impresses with her creative use of bubble wrap to create her honeycomb mango mousse and pistachio dacquoise.
~*~

Andrea at Andrea's Recipes
Northern Virginia, US
Andrea stays cool with her creamy frozen mango dessert.
~*~

Jen at The Canadian Baker
Canada
Jen's pineapple coconut cookies have tropical written all over them. And they're super easy to make too!
~*~

Mandy at Fresh From the Oven
St. Louis, Missouri, US
Mandy's no-bake cheesecake is a stunning creation that incorporates delicious tropical lychee fruits.
~*~

Benas at Floating Nib
US
An exceedingly moist banana loaf topped with chocolate chips (yum!) from Benas.
~*~

Sihan at Walking in the Rain
Singapore
Inspired by a cocktail from a local nightspot, Sihan creates a Malibu (coconut rum) pineapple cupcake.
~*~

Lisa at La Mia Cucina
Ohio, US
Queen of Dorkdom Lisa adds some coconut to a bumper crop of zucchini to create the best coconut zucchini loaf in Ohio.
~*~

Soula at My Champagne Dreams
Sydney, Australia
Winter in the Southern hemisphere doesn't stop Soula from baking a very summery coconut and lime macadamia cake from Bill Granger.
~*~

Zhulaiha at Ovenhaven
Singapore
A summery combination of peaches and coconut go into Zhulaiha's crumble pie.
~*~

Inne at Vanille & Chocolat
London, UK
Inne's strawberry and mango jam was created by pV=nRT scientifically speaking. But Inne believes it might be magic instead.
~*~

Sara Payne at Whisks & Needles
Atlanta, Georgia, US
Sara shares her secret recipe for mango ginger pound cake
~*~

Nicole at Audaciousness
San Jorge, Nicaragua
Nicole takes her refresco (a fresh fruit drink) to go in a plastic baggie - Central American style.
~*~

Lynn at Cookie Baker Lynn
Washington, US
Lynn ventures into new (to her) tropical fruit territory with her vibrant mango sorbet.
~*~

Anita at Dessert First
San Francisco, California, US
Pastry Girl Anita's passion fruit souffle glace with pineapple fruit soup is melt-in-your-mouth perfection.
~*~

Mila at Blog Quesadillas
Sweden
Mila escapes the summer rain with cocadas, a Mexican candy.
~*~

Deborah at Taste and Tell
Utah, US
The crystal clear blue waters of the Florida Keys and a taste of authentic key lime pie inspired Deborah to make a key lime tart.
~*~

Nicisme at Cherrapeno
UK
Nicisme's tropical cakes is willing the sun to come out and warm her chili plants.
~*~

Sheena S. at The Casual Baker
Paris, France
Some "turbulence" with a certain tropical fruit led Sheena to improvise and make these bleeding heart cupcakes.
~*~

Ulrike at Küchenlatein
Northern Germany
Ulrike recalls her very first pineapple and the Balinese women who prepared the fruit with their skilled knives.
~*~

And my entry, white chocolate tropical chunk cookies.

Whew! So there you have it. 41 flavors of the tropics to choose from. I already know which recipes I'm going to try out. =) Thanks again to all the participants.