Meyer Lemon Layer Cake

One Girl Cookies is the best dessert recipe I've ever read.

Every single recipe makes you want to get baking!

Especially, this Meyer Lemon Layer Cake! 

And I didn't even add the flaked coconut!

Even Herbie wanted to eat this cake!

Or rather he is so excited over his new/repurposed Build-A-Bear house :D

Mmmmm... Look at that lemon curd!

Frosting!

Sean Kelly- "Could It Be Another Change?"

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 largge eggs
• Grated zest of 2 lemons
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried coconut flakes

Curd:

• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• pinch of salt

Frosting:

•  8 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 6 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tbsp whole milk, plus more if needed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• grated zest of 2 lemons

Directions:

Cake:

     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare two 0 inch round cake pans by greasing them with cooking spray and then lining the botttoms with parchment paper.

     In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time. Then add the lemon zest. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes, until fully combined.

    

     In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, slat, and baking soda, In a separate bowl, mix the sour cream and the vanilla.

     With the mixer running on low speed, mix in a third of the flour mixture and half of the sour cream mixture and half of the sour cream mixture. Scrape down the bowl. Add another third of the flour mixture and all the remaining flour mixture until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. Divide the batter between the prepared pans.

      Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pans and bake for 15 more minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 20 minutes. Then turn each cake out onto a clean plate, remove the parchment paper, and then turn it back over onto a wire rack. et the cakes cool completely.

     To assemble, place a cake layer on a serving plate, and trim the top with a long serrated knife to make a level surface. Spread a thin layer of the lemon buttercream over the top. Using a pastry bag, pipe a ring of butter cream around the edge of the cake. THis makes a sort of bowl for the lemon curd so that it will not spill out. Fill the bowl with 1 cup of the lemon curd. Place the second cake layer on top, being careful not to disturb the lemon curd. Spread the remaining buttercream over the entire cake. Press the coconut flakes into the butter cream on the sides of the cake.

Curd:

    In a large metal bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. In a medium saucepan, bring about 2 inches of water to a boil. Place the metal bowl on top of the saucepan, and whisk the egg mixture constantly until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Do not let the mixture come to a boil. Remove the bowl from the heat. Stir in the butter and salt until the butter melts completely. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a heat-resistant bowl. Press the plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Chill the curd in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, or until it has set. It can be stored in the fridge for about 5 days.

Frosting:

     In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Reduce the mixer to low and add the milk, vanilla, salt , and lemon zest. Scrape down the bowl and the paddle. Mix on low for 2 minutes, until the buttercream is thoroughly combined. If the buttercream is too stiff to spread, add an additional 1 to2 teaspoons milk until you reach the desired consistency. Extra buttercream can be stored in an airtight container, with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the buttercream, for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Peppermint Filling

Just a warning - these things are addictive!

I've already had oatmeal cookies, a blowpop

 (not a sucker- no sucking forces in nature),

and I still have had two!

There just too good!

On a more personal note, I've had the best day ever!

I aced a history in-class essay on my favorite subject!

 (2nd industrial rev and strikes)

I translated Vergil and Caesar to perfection on my Latin test.

And to top it off the big finale (drumroll please!)

I got a 5/5 on a reaction quiz for the first time in chem!

I've also heard some of the best Valentine's Day wishes involving puns.

I've had my ion you!

If you're still looking for a Valentine card, check out Sierra Club's ecards.

Vance Joy "Riptide"

This is from One Girl Cookies by Dawn Casale and David Crofton. (Great book check it out!)

Ingredients:

Whoopie Pies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3 large eggs

Filling

• 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more if needed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Whoopie Pies

         In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

         In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla for 3 minutes on medium speed. Thoroughly scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture for a total mixing time of 30 seconds. Carefully scrape down the bowl. Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes.

         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

         Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (the hole should be about as large as the tip of your ring finder), pipe 2-inch diameter circles onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 1/2 inches between them. Be careful to keep your pastry bag comletely vertical to achieve nice circles. 

         Immediately put the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 9 minutes, without rotating the baking sheet, until the whoopie pies spring back when touched. Let the whoopie pies cool completely.

          To fill the whoopies, turn half of them over so that they are bottom-side up. Using a pastry bag, pipe a small dollop of peppermint filling onto each whoopie bottom. Top with the remaining whoopies

Filling

         In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the creamcheese and butter on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the peppermint and salt, and mix for 30 seconds on low speed

         With the mixer running on low speed gradually add the confectioners' sugar and then beat for 1 minute. Scrpae down the bowl. If the filling is too soft to hold its shape, add more confectioners' sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

        Store in the refrigerator, in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface fo the filling, for up to 5 days.

Chocolate Cake

 I'm not a stress-eater, but if I were, after AP chem this Friday, I would have made this cake and wallowed in my sorrow.

I completely forgot to this worksheet and resolved to do it at lunch.

I forgot at lunch.

Plus a reaction quiz equals stress-fest in chem.

But back to the comfort of cake

 The ideal chocolate cake. 

On the same level as the cake eaten by Bruce in Matilda.

 The original cake that this is based on is at Joanne Eats Well with Others, 

and you should totally check it out! 

(Including Nutella!)

"When I Grow Up" Matilda the Musical

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 cup dark, unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate chips, melted
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk or regular milk
• 1 cup raspberry preserves, warmed slightly
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour 3 9-inch cake pans.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, using a mixer on high speed, beat egg whites (reserving the yolks) until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, with the mixer on medium speed, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in egg yolks, vanilla, and melted chocolate until combined.  Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually mix in flour, alternating with  milk, until just combined, scraping down the bowl after each addition.  Fold in egg whites in three additions, until combined.
5. Divide batter into cake pans.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake pulls away from the side of the pan and a toothpick inserted comes out with moist cake crumbs.  Cool for 12 minutes on wire racks in the pan.  Run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto wire rack to cool completely.
6. Split each cake in half.  Spread a layer of raspberry preserves on each cake layer, assembling the cake as you go.
7. To make the ganache, heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.  When it comes to a simmer, turn the heat off and whisk in the 8 oz chocolate chips until melted and smooth.  Cool until it’s a good consistency and then pour and spread over the cake.  Top with hazelnuts.