Strawberry Lime Cream Cake

Submitted by: Heather

In the spirit of Cake Wrecks, a pretty funny blog about cakes gone wrong, here are a couple of my own wrecks:

Go ahead and laugh long and hard at these pictures.  What lopsided, beautiful messes!  Pretty embarrassing! These are two attempts at a very delicious, but very wobbly cake.  The second one had to travel in a car, so it got extra messy. I do think that even though these cakes are a sight, you still need to try this recipe.  The cake had a very nice consistency and the lime cream was so tangy and refreshing - you could just sit down and eat it from the bowl as I did.  I would recommend, though, a different approach to the assembly.

I'm not sure what I did wrong, but from the comments section from this recipe in Mel's Kitchen Cafe, I see I was not the only one having problems.  Maybe next time I'll add less sweetened condensed milk to the lime filling and substitute some powdered sugar for stability. The lime filling layer completely squished out of the cake layers - it just wasn't strong enough to support all of that cake.  If I ever get it figured out, I'll add to this post, but until then just make this yummy white cake, fill the layers with the strawberry puree and serve the absolutely delicious lime cream dolloped on the side.  It will be on the side if you try to fill the layers anyway, so save yourself the trouble! Yum!

Strawberry-Lime Cream Cake

*Serves 12

INGREDIENTS:
White Cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 egg whites

Strawberry Syrup/Puree:
*You can sub 1 1/2 cups of strawberry jam for the puree*
1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Lime Cream:
4 limes, for 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Whipped Cream Frosting:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 envelope (about 2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
4 tablespoons water

DIRECTIONS:
For the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add buttermilk, butter and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg whites and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Pour the batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. (I lined the bottom of mine with a parchment circle and greased the top of the parchment circle.) Bake the cakes for 28-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs. Don’t overbake or the cakes will be dry. Cool the cakes on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a butter knife and remove the cakes from the pans to cool completely.

For the strawberry puree, combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

For the lime cream, zest and juice the limes into a medium bowl. You should have about 1/2 cup lime juice. Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix well. Add the whipping cream and beat until medium-stiff peaks form. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

For the whipped cream frosting, in a small bowl, place the water and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let the mixture stand for 3-4 minutes until the gelatin has thickened. Microwave for 20-30 seconds until the gelatin dissolves and the mixture is warm. Remove from the microwave and let the mixture cool to room temperature (don’t let it set up!). In a large bowl, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until slightly thickened. While beating slowly, gradually add the cooled gelatin to the whipped cream mixture. Whip at high speed until stiff peaks form.

To assemble the cake, slice each cooled cake round in half horizontally to form 4 cake circles. Place one cake layer on a cake plate and spread an even layer of strawberry syrup over the top. Spread a thick layer of lime cream over the jam, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge as the top cake layers will press the cream out toward the edges. Repeat the same layering process with the next two layers. Top with the final cake layer and frost the entire cake with the whipped cream frosting. Garnish with fresh limes and strawberries, if desired. Chill for 1-2 hours before serving to let the cake set up.

Source: Adapted from Melskitchencafe.com

Teriyaki Salmon

Submitted by: Heather

I feel like this recipe should have "curd" in the title, since my sister, Lisa, and I have posted two curd recipes back to back before this one.  But, somehow I don't think that "salmon curd" would sound very appetizing to anyone...

This salmon recipe has been used by our family since my kids were tiny.  I was always impressed that they would eat it so readily.  When I was a kid and had fish put on my plate I refused to eat it.  I remember sitting at my table for many hours until I finished my fish (or successfully fed it to the dog without anyone seeing).  I'm ashamed that I never gave it a chance.  I blame my older sister, Lisa (sorry Lisa!).  I followed her in most things and she absolutely hated fish, so naturally I did too.
Now I really like fish. My husband sometimes calls this recipe "candy fish". Yes, it's sweet, but not overly so.  It also has a nice peppery flavor.  Try it - I bet your kids will love it.

1 1/2 lbs. salmon fillets
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt, to taste
1/3 C. soy sauce
1/3 C. packed brown sugar
1/3 C. water
1/4 C. vegetable oil

Sprinkle fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder and salt. In a large ziploc, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, water and oil (I use much less oil than called for). Place fish in the marinade and marinate for at least 2 hours.

To grill: Remove fish from marinade and grill over medium heat for about 7 minutes on each side.

To broil: Adjust broiler rack so that it's approx 2" below the heat source if the fish is 1" thick or under; or place rack 4" from heat if the fish is over 1" thick. Place fish under broiler and broil, undisturbed, for approx. 4 minutes.  It's done when opaque.  If you need to remove a fillet because it's done before the others, make sure to wipe the marinade from the pan or it will burn.

Source: unknown

Lemon Cheesecake

Submitted by Heather

Lemon curd.  Mmmm.  You could slather it on almost anything and it would be delicious.  It is especially wonderful on this lemon cheesecake. Don't worry about it being too lemony.  As if that's even possible!  Yes, it's true that some artificial lemon flavoring can be too overpowering.  But this is all natural and just right. You won't believe how perfectly creamy and tart it is. Delicious!

Lemon Cheesecake

CRUST
5 ounces Nabisco’s Barnum’s Animal Crackers (I used Nilla wafers)
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and kept warm

FILLING
1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 oz.) sugar
1 tablespoon grated zest and 1/4 cup juice from 1-2 lemons
1 1/2 pounds (3 8-oz. packages) cream cheese, cut into 1 inch chunks, at room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream

LEMON CURD
1/3 cup juice (from about 2 lemons)
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz.) sugar
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

FOR THE CRUST
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 325F. In a food processor, process the animal crackers until you have fine crumbs. You should have about 1 cup. Add in the sugar and pulse. In a steady stream, add the butter while pulsing, about 10 1-second pulses. Transfer the crumb mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly into the bottom. Bake until fragrant and golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. When cool, wrap the pan with 2 18-inch square pieces of foil (this is important!  You want to make sure that no moisture can get into the pan or you'll have a soggy crust). Set the pan in a roasting pan.

FOR THE FILLING
Process 1/4 cup of the sugar and the lemon zest in a food processor until the zest is broken down and the sugar turns yellow. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in the rest of the sugar.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese to break it up and soften it slightly, about 5 seconds. With the machine running, add the sugar mixture in a slow stream; increase the speed to medium and beat until combined, creamy and smooth – about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to medium low and add the eggs, 2 at a time. Beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl before each addition. Add the lemon juice, vanilla and salt and mix to combine. Add the cream and mix until incorporated, about another 5 seconds. Give the bowl a final scrape and pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough water to make it about halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake until the center jiggles slightly, the sides start to puff, and the surface is no longer shiny, about 55 to 60 minutes. The center should read about 150 degrees F. Turn off the oven and prop the door of the oven open with a potholder or wooden spoon. Allow the cake to cool in the water bath in the oven for about an hour. Transfer the springform pan to a wire rack and run a small paring knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Let it sit to room temperature for 2 hours.

FOR THE CURD
While the cheesecake is baking, heat the lemon juice in a small non-reactive pan on medium heat until hot, but not boiling. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl, then gradually whisk in the sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the hot lemon juice into the egg/sugar mixture, then return the mixture to the saucepan and continue to heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 170 F and is thick enough to cling to the spoon, about 3 minutes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and add in the cold butter and mix until incorporated. Stir in the cream, vanilla and salt, then pour through a strainer into a small nonreactive bowl. Cover the surface of the curd directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

TO ASSEMBLE
When the cheesecake is cool, top it with the lemon curd while still in the springform pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, but 24 hours is better. To serve, remove the sides of the springform pan and cut into wedges.

Source: Adapted slightly from The New Best Recipe

Raspberry Curd filled cupcake with lemon butter cream cheese frosting

Submitted by Lisa

I have been watching Cup Cake wars on Food Network and have been dying to try one myself.  So, I picked one that used "normal" ingredients and gave it a try.  I am very pleased with the results.  Personally, I will probably make it again, but with a white or yellow cake.  I have never really been a fan of red velvet.  

Recipe originally called for blackberries

Recipe courtesy Victoria Donnelly, Cupcake Wars, 2010

Prep Time:

40 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

45 min

Level:

Intermediate

Serves:

24 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons royal blue gel paste food coloring
• 1 tablespoon purple gel paste food coloring

Raspberry Curd Filling: 

(this made way too much curd for the amount of cupcakes, next time I would do about a 1/4 of this)

• 2 quarts fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Raspberry Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 pound cream cheese
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons reserved Raspberry juice, from curd filling
• 1 lemon, zested
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar
• 24 whole fresh raspberries, for garnish (optional)

Directions

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cupcake or muffin pan with 24 regular-size cupcake liners.

Place the oil, buttermilk, eggs, vinegar, vanilla, and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until thoroughly mixed. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder together and slowly add to the mixer on low speed. Scrape down the bowl thoroughly, as needed. Add the food colorings in a steady stream until desired shade is achieved; it should appear bluish-purple. Beat for another 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl one last time and mix for 30 seconds by hand.

Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full with batter and bake until they form a semi-hard crust on top, about 25 minutes. Immediately remove the cupcakes from their pan and place on a cooling rack.



For the raspberry curd filling: Bring the raspberry and water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Turn down the heat to low and simmer until the raspberries are soft and separate easily, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a sieve and pass through using a spoon to help mash the raspberries. Discard the pulp and reserve the juice. Place the flour and sugar in a clean saucepan and slowly pour in the raspberries juice, reserving 2 tablespoons. Whisk constantly. When thoroughly combined, add the whole eggs and egg yolks, whisking and cooking until the mixture thickens. When the curd has formed, after about 7 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator until fully chilled.

For the cream cheese frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter together in the bowl of an electric standmixer until pale and creamy. Add the raspberry juice and lemon zest and continue to beat until the color is even. (The lemon zest has a tendency to adhere to the beater blade. When removing from the mixer bowl, be sure to scrape this off and blend back into the frosting by hand.) Reduce the speed to low and slowly begin adding the confectioners' sugar. Keep adding until the frosting has a medium-stiff consistency. You may not require the full 5 cups sugar. Beat on high speed for a further 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.

To assemble: Remove the center of each cupcake using an apple corer. Fill the cavity with the raspberry curd until it is level with the top of the cake. Pipe the frosting on top using a plain pastry tip. Crumble one of the cakes into small pieces and scatter a few crumbles on top of each cake so that it adheres to the frosting.Garnish with a whole fresh raspberry, if desired.

• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results
  .

Garden Fresh Lasagna

 (I used a home canned tomato sauce for this recipe, but you can use store bought)

• This is the 2nd recipe for the week that will include Zucchini.  I have them multiplying faster that I can cook with them!  But, I am determined to venture out and try them in a few different ways.  Don't forget, if you don't have time to cook with them, at least take the time to peel and finely shred them.  They freeze fabulously and you can pull it out later and make something.

• Submitted by Lisa

• Source:  inspired by a dish I saw on www.health.com titled Garden Lasagna
•  (the original dish has no meat and uses a white sauce)
• 
  

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 1/2 cups (1 pound) chopped zucchini
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2/3 cup chopped carrot
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil (I omitted because my sauce was seasoned already)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2 quarts of home canned tomatoes or store bought 
• 1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 lb. hamburger browned
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
• Cooking spray
• 9 (about 5 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles (such as Barilla)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, onion, and carrot; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; stir in corn, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

3. In small mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and the egg.  Mix until combined.

4.  Mix the browned beef and the vegetable mixture together.

5. Spread 1/2 cup tomatoes in bottom of an 11- x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over sauce; top with half the vegetable mixture (about 2 cups) and one-third of the cottage cheese mixture, and spread a layer of tomato sauce/chunks over that.

6. Sprinkle some of the mozzerella cheese on and repeat until gone.  Your top layer should remain the vegie mixture with sauce and a final sprinkle of the mozzerella cheese.  

7. Cover with foil and bake at 400° for about 50 to 60 minutes until golden brown. Let stand 15 minutes.

**tip** I put my dish on a cookie sheet with sides in case it bubbles over.  

Zucchini Fries

Posted by Lisa

Zucchini.  The ever abundant garden vegetable.  I have my 1st of the season right here.  Although I have my favorite zucchini recipes, I felt that I needed to add a few more to my choices if I want the kids and hubby to   continue to eat it all summer!  I found this recipe online at www.health.com  and made it to go with grilled steaks and baked potatoes.  It was a great addition and since it is baked, no added fat!

What do you do with it!?  ....try this recipe!

• Ingredients:
• 2 zucchini
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• Vegetable cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°. 

 Peel the zucchini. 

Remove the center with the seeds and discard.

Cut zucchini into 1/2-inch sticks. 

Whisk an egg white in a small bowl, and add milk. Combine Parmesan and seasoned breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini sticks into egg mixture, and then roll in breadcrumb mixture. 

Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, and place zucchini on sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

  

****Tip**** If you have extra zucchini...DON'T THROW IT AWAY.  Take the left over and shred it and either make zucchini brownies or shred and freeze for making the brownies at another time!