Cake with Fresh Lemon Curd Filling

Posted on May 30, 2012 by kitchenbelle

My dad is a really wonderful guy. He is gregarious, helpful, and fun-loving.  He enjoys cold beer, shrimp cocktail, and hot dogs. He is easy to please and maybe that’s why I love making his birthday cake each year!  (Check out the Root Beer Iced Vanilla Cake I made in 2008 and the Boston Cream Pie I made in 2009.)

In addition to Boston Cream Pie, his other favorite dessert is Lemon Meringue Pie. For his birthday this year I wanted to make cake (not pie) so I translated his love for lemon into a cake filled with fresh lemon curd!

A trick I learned at Flour Bakery (while I was a recipe-testing intern) is called the “dam.” Whenever  you fill a cake with something other than frosting (in this case lemon curd) you should pipe a circle of frosting (a “dam”) around the edge of the cake so that the filling does not ooze out. Check it out:

You pipe the “dam” first, and then spoon the lemon curd within its border. You then place the second cake layer on top and you are ready to frost!

Cake with Fresh Lemon Curd Filling:

(I prepared the lemon curd the evening before I assembled the cake.)

Lemon Curd:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 water
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 4 large egg yolks

Over medium heat, in a non-reactive saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, water, lemon juice, lemon rind, cream of tartar, and egg yolks. Stir briefly using a wooden spoon then whisk continuously for several (approximately 8) minutes until thickened. Strain through a fine sieve. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap touching the curd. Refrigerate until firm.

Cake:

I used this brown sugar cake recipe.

Frosting:

I used (of course) cream cheese frosting to complement the lemon curd filling.

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

 

Filed under: cake, cream cheese, Dessert, eggs, Flour Bakery, frosting, icing, lemon | 3 Comments »

Parmesan, Pine Nut, Panko and Parsley Baked White Fish

Posted on February 10, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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Let me first start by saying that it sends me bonkers when my photos of food turn out crumby!  Here is one of those instances where we were so hungry!  I made a quick attempt to make this pretty but then everything started to get cold.  And did I mention we were so hungry!  I actually almost didn’t post this just because the photo is so blah.  (And it is a photo of green fish so it wasn’t going to work for itself to begin with!)  Anyway, enough with the disclaimers!  I ultimately decided to share this recipe (despite the blah photo) because it is not only delicious, but also healthful.  And I have received several requests for easy weeknight suppers—I just couldn’t withhold this one from you on account of my bad photography!  It is so flavorful!

My sweetheart (along with just about everyone else) is fighting a cold so I wanted to make him a nutrient-rich dinner.  I love simple baked white fish, but I wanted to pack a little more punch!  This recipe does just that.  The coating for the fish is a combination of parmesan cheese, pine nuts, panko bread crumbs, garlic, and fresh parsley (which is why it is so green–don’t let that scare you).  The filets are dipped in egg white (pack a little protein!) then coated and then baked. Simple.  I served this with baked sweet potato and sauteed spinach with garlic.  Our plates were so colorful! 

Parmesan, Pine Nut, Panko and Parsley Baked White Fish:

  • 4 white fish filets
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs + 2 tablespoons
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/3 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
  • 4 tablespoons fresh parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 lemon (optional)
  • olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 F.  Spray glass 9 x 13 dish with cooking spray.

Using your Magic Bullet or food processor, combine the bread crumbs, pine nuts, cheese, parsley, and garlic.  Pulse a few times until finely chopped.  Pour into a wide shallow bowl/dish. Set aside.

Pour the egg whites into another wide shallow bowl/dish. 

One by one, dip each filet in egg white and then dip in the parsley mixture.  Press to coat on all sides.  Place filet into prepared glass baking dish.   Sprinkle each filet with plain panko breadcrumbs.  Squeeze fresh lemon juice over each.  Quickly and lightly spray each filet with one short pump of olive oil cooking spray.    

Bake for about 12 minutes, or until fish is flaky and opaque.  (You can crisp up the tops by placing the dish under the broiler for a few minutes. This will deepen the color of the bread crumbs and give the fish a crispier texture.)

Adapted from The Dallas Morning News.

Filed under: fish, lemon, Main Dish, pine nuts | Leave a comment »

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Icing

Posted on July 20, 2008 by kitchenbelle

 

I was set on making fruit-flavored cupcakes and I hemmed and hawed over which fruit flavor for longer than anyone should hem and haw about fruit-flavored cupcakes, or anything fruit-related for that matter.  I considered orange, lime, pineapple, apple, watermelon and even grape.  I even considered different combinations of frosting and cake–lemon cake with lime frosting, orange cake with lemon frosting, vanilla cake with pineapple frosting.  I think the heat was getting to me–I almost forgot I do have more important things to think about!   Before spiralling too far into a fruit-salad hysteria I took a cold shower.  It was then that I settled on crisp, simple, refreshing: lemon.  And I am happy with the decision.  The cake was nice and fluffy with just the right amount of lemon flavor.  The icing was smooth and sweet–nicely balanced by the tartness of the lemon.    

 

Lemon Cupcakes:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • lemon zest of 2 lemons
  • lemon juice of 2 lemons

Preheat over to 325 degrees.  Insert liners into 2 cupcake pans.  In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time to creamed mixture, beating 1 minute after each addition.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixure, alternating with the milk.  Add the lemon zest and lemon juice.  Mix until incorporated.

Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full.  Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Lemon Icing:

  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
  • zest of one lemon
  • juice of one lemon

In a large bowl cream together sugar and butter with an electric mixer until smooth.  Mix in the lemon zest and lemon juice.  Spread over cooled cupcakes. 

Lemon cupcake recipe and lemon icing recipe adapted from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella.

Filed under: cupcakes, Dessert, icing, lemon | 8 Comments »