Lemon Cake with Blackberry Buttercream

I made this cake, and it's delicious, and you should probably make it too. It's also really pretty. My blackberry frosting turned out bright pink (that's all the berries, no food coloring here!), which would be SO CUTE at a girl's baby shower. But I didn't make it for a baby shower, I made it for Amanda's birthday, which was also SO CUTE. 


Guys, I wish I could tell you more about this cake right now, or about how the decoration job on this is "rustic" because I'm super impatient with frosting things (cut out sugar cookies are the worst), but really, I'm a little busy. Catching up on episodes of Parenthood in preparation for season 5. OMG. I laugh. I cry. Every single episode of that show is an emotional roller coaster. I'm out of control. 


Ok, now I just talked about baby showers, Parenthood, and emotional roller coasters in one blog post. Don't get the wrong idea, folks… I know what you were thinking. You and your filthy minds. 




Just make this cake already! 

Lemon Cake with Blackberry Buttercream

Cake

Adapted slightly from Martha Stewart

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/2 cups  all purpose flour (or 2.5 cups plus 2.5 tablespoons cake flour)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup milk

1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour two 8X2 inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour. 

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.

In a large bowl (I used stand mixer) beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Turn speed to low and mix in eggs and yolks, one at a time, scrape down bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Alternately mix in flour mixture and milk (scraping down bowl each time) beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.

Divide batter between pans and smooth the tops. Bake until cakes start to pull away from sides of pans, about 32 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack.

While cakes are baking, bring remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan, lower heat, add lemon slices, and simmer for 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lemon slices to a sheet of waxed-paper. Stir remaining 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice into syrup.

Using a toothpick, poke holes in warm cakes on rack. Brush with lemon syrup. Let cool completely before frosting. Decorate with candied lemon slices and fresh blackberries, and drizzle any a bit of remaining lemons syrup over berries. 

Frosting

Adapted slightly from this recipe


1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature


4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup blackberry puree (from about 1 cup of loosely measured blackberries--see below for puree directions)


1 tsp vanilla extract


pinch salt


Puree the blackberries in a small food processor or with immersion blender. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, using a rubber spatula to press the juice and puree through. 

In a large bowl (I used electric mixture with paddle attachment) cream the butter at medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, and (carefully, so you it doesn't go flying everywhere) add in the powdered sugar and pinch of salt. Mix until combined, then add the vanilla and blackberry puree. Increase speed to medium, and beat until smooth. 

It might look a bit separated at first, keep beating. If it's too runny, just add a bit more sugar, and likewise, if it's too stiff, add a bit of liquid (either a splash of milk or puree some more blackberries). 

Rise and Shine: Whole Wheat Blackberry Coconut Scones

I steal the covers every night. I must swim in my sleep. Or at least doggy paddle. I really can't figure out how they get so turned around each night. And how they all end up on my side, while Evan lies there shivering. Monday through Friday, I set 5 alarms each morning. Seriously, 5. In ten minute increments. I turn them all off—one by one, every ten minutes—and go back to sleep. And then I tell Evan that I'm getting up in 5 more minutes. Just 5 more minutes. This carries on until he has no choice but to get up and shower first, to avoid being late. And then I rush him, because, well, at that point, I'm usually running late myself. 

For the most part, he's a good sport. That's why I try to get up earlier on weekends, and let him sleep in. With all the blankets to himself, and no annoying buzzers. It also gives me time to make breakfast. There's nothing better than waking up to the scent of something delicious sizzling or baking, coffee brewing. 

Weekend breakfast, served. After five days of dealing with my blanket thievery and alarm clock marathon, It's the least I can do. 

Whole Wheat Blackberry Coconut Scones 

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes

2 eggs

1/2 cup cold half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries (do not thaw if frozen)

1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

Egg Wash

Whisk together the following: 

1 Egg

1 Tablespoon water

pinch salt

A few tablespoons raw sugar

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract 

Half and half 

For Scones:

Preheat oven to 350. 

In bowl of stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend butter into dry mixture, with a pastry blender, your hands, or your paddle attachment, until butter pieces are a little larger than 'pea-sized.' 

Whisk together the eggs, half and half, and vanilla, and add half of it to the dry mixture. Mix gently until just combined, and add remaining liquid. The dough might look a little shaggy, that's ok. Gently fold in coconut and berries.

On a floured surface, pat dough into two equal sized rounds, about an inch and a half thick (should be about 5 inches around). Brush surface and sides with egg wash, and sprinkle with raw sugar. Cut into 6 wedges. 

Place wedges (not touching) on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate pan, and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until golden. 

Once cooled completely, drizzle with icing. 

For Icing:

Whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, and about a tablespoon half and half. Add more half and half until you reach desired consistency. Add more sugar if it gets too thin, more half & half if its too thick.

I referenced the Grand Central Baking Book for key ingredient measurements of a basic scone recipe (ratio of dry to wet ingredients), and a general 'scone how-to,' but my recipe is so different from that one, that I wouldn't even call it an adaptation. You should, however, pick up a copy of that book, or go into Grand Central Bakery if you get a chance. Their oatmeal chocolate chip cookie is one of my all time favorites!

Fall Shmall

I’m having a hard time getting into fall this year. I’m usually a sucker for the crisp air, red and orange leaves, new boot collections, and comforting fall food, but this year I just can’t seem to get over summer. Summer was far too short and the weather, well… it sucked. I didn’t get my fill of long days and vitamin D, and suddenly—before I even had a chance think about buying brightly colored open-toe wedges—it was 6pm and already dark outside, and pumpkins starting popping up in the grocery store.

I’m trying to get into it though. I mean, I really do love wearing scarves and baking crisps and crumbles, and who doesn’t like a big pot of chili or soup on a cool fall day? Luckily two of my favorite fall things are helping me (slowly but surely) come around to the turning season: football and new TV shows! Ok, that’s maybe the dorkiest thing I’ve ever said on this blog…but I’m not kidding… I’m kind of obsessed with some TV shows right now. And the football thing… well, that’s just for the food.

Amanda and I recently went to a Husky tailgate with some of her friends (who happen to be UW athlete alums), and it was amazing. The game sucked, we got stomped, but the tailgate party was ah-may-zing! The group brings a big flat screen and satellite dish so we could watch the game right there in the parking lot. And the food… so good! Every tailgate they do is themed on the opposing team, so in a game against the cornhuskers, the food theme was corn. Amanda and I made sure all of our corny contributions were purple and gold, so no one would be confused about our loyalties.

Ever since then, I’ve been inspired by fun purple and gold football food ideas, and came up with the most perfect thing. It would be absolutely perfect for a Husky game…but I didn’t test it out at a football game. I tested it out for the premier of Law and Order: SVU! I love SVU like no one’s business. I even made Evan create an SVU theme song remix for me… it’s pretty rad. It feels kind of lame but also awesome to be madly in love with a network TV cop drama. But I mean… c’mon, Stabler’s a babe. And if you don’t believe me, ask Amanda—she’s obsessed too.

Anyway, for the big SVU premier, Amanda came over for… chicken wings! Purple and gold ones! I made Sticky Blackberry Honey Hot Wings. They were sweet and smoky, sticky and finger-lickin good. Flecked with (gold) shards of orange zest, the purple glazed wings were a UW football fan’s dream come true. They were also pretty damn good for Law and Order night.

As long as I have fall TV shows and football food, I suppose I’ll survive the short days and crisp air. With these wings, maybe I’ll even start getting into the season a little.

Sticky Blackberry Honey Hot Wings
 
24 chicken wings

2.5 cups blackberries
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/4 cup orange juice
1.5 tablespoons chipotle tabasco (or more to your liking..and you can use hot sauce of your choice plus a sprinkle of chipotle powder)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 pinch ground black pepper
1/4 cup melted butter
zest from 1 orange

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and put wings in for 40-50 minutes (until cooked through). While wings are baking, make sauce: puree berries, honey, ketchup, orange juice, hot sauce, brown sugar, and balsamic until smooth. If you dislike the seeds, strain (I like to leave them in). Mix puree with melted butter. Set aside.

After wings have cooked for 40-50 minutes, drain juices. Pour sauce over wings and coat evenly (you might have sauce leftover). Stick back in the 400 degree oven for 10 more minutes, turning often. About half way through, sprinkle a little more brown sugar on top, and mix in, sprinkle orange zest on top. For last few minutes of cooking, turn on broiler.

Reserve remaining sauce for dipping, or for another use (like eating with a spoon or dipping tortilla chips into or basting on salmon).