Lemonocalypse?
Lemon Cream Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 zest lemon ( approx 1 tbsp )
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Lemon Cream Filling
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/4 cup confectioner/icing sugar ( plus more for dusting )
- 5 oz marscapone ( or softened cream cheese )
- 1 lemon zest and juice ( approx 1 tbsp, 3 tbsp )
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Line 2x 8" cake pans with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In another large bowl, beat sugar, butter, lemon zest until combined.
- Add oil and beat until creamy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.
- Add vanilla, and mix thoroughly.
- Slowly add dry ingredients and mix on medium-low until just a few dry streaks remain.
- Add Milk and beat until incorporated.
- Pour batter evenly into both cake pans, and smooth the tops.
- Bake until toothpick test comes out clean, approx 18-20 minutes.
- Invert on wire rack and let cool completely.
Crumb Topping
- Mix sugar and flour.
- Add the butter, and cut in with fingertips (or pair of knives or pastry cutter if you have), until the mix holds together when squeezed.
- Add vanilla, and mix thoroughly by cutting it some more.
- Crumble the mixture onto a small baking sheet.
- Bake until the edges start to turn golden brown, approx 12-15 minutes.
- Stir with a spatula to break the piececs apart ( it will harden as it cools ).
- Break any large pieces by hand.
- Let cool completely.
Lemon Cream Filling
- In a large bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form.
- In another large bowl, beat sugar and cheese until smooth.
- Add lemon zest and juice until well combined.
- Fold in whipped cream.
Assembly
- Level the tops of cakes if needed.
- Top one cake with the lemon cream filling.
- Top with the other cake half.
- Press the crumble into the sides of the cake where the filling is exposed.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Lemonade is 3:1 water to lemon juice
Sugar to taste, and mint leaves optional.
I have some peach syrup left over from a cobbler, so I’m going to make a peach lemonade by doing 1:1 peach syrup to lemon juice.
If you want to make your own peach lemonade from scratch:
3 large peaches, peeled, pitted, chopped. (easiest way to peel is to put in boiling water for 10 seconds, dunk into an ice bath, and then rub the skin off with paper towel, it works shockingly well).
Boil this with 2 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar.
Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes – until the peaches become mushy.
Remove from heat, let cool 30 mins, then strain.
Add 1/3 cup lemon juice, 3 cups water/sparkling, and/ore replace 1/4 cup of water with alcohol.
Toss in some lemon and/or peach slices, optional mint garnish, pour over ice.
I’m also going to make some hot sauce with the desiccated (super duper dried) peppers that have been loitering in from fridge for … I’m embarrassed to admit how long – 2 years?
Soaking them in hot water, and then making the following over the next week. I’ll finish this on Aug25
I’m making about a 1/4 batch since my entire pepper supply will be around 2 oz (wet). I’m leaving the placenta, pith, ribs, and seeds from all the chilis, so this will be “more than mild” in heat.
Yes, chilis have placentas, deal with it.
I might
Hot Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 oz Chili peppers (226 g), tops off, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup water
- 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp salt (2-3% of fresh peppers by weight)
- 1/4 cup vinegar (ACV of course, but others are fine)
Instructions
- If your peppers are dehydrated, reconstitute by soaking in hot water for 2 minutes.
- Put everything other than the vinegar in a food processor.
- Pulse until chunky.
- Put in a glass jar, covered with cheesecloth, and let sit on your countertop for 1-2 days.
- Add the vinegar, stir, re-cover with cheesecloth, let sit for 5-7 days.
- Blend until smooth, filter through cheesecloth - squeeze the liquid out WHILE WEARING GLOVES. You don't want to risk getting this into your eyes.
- If the sauce is too thick, add a little water or vinegar - to taste.
- Bottle, refrigerate for up to 2 months. Shake well before use.