Chocolate Lemon Curd Cake with Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream

It is really hard for me to let my oldest decorate cakes. She does not want to bake the cake, but just decorate it. However, if I am going to do all the work of baking, stacking and making the buttercream, I want to decorate it as well. But I decided to let her decorate the cake since it was for her birthday. 

This cake came to be because of an idea she had. She loves lemon curd and wanted a chocolate cake with lemon curd filling. She left the frosting up to me, so of course I had to go with my favorite Swiss meringue. Since the cake filling was lemon it made sense to do a lemon buttercream.

The chocolate cake was so delicious. It was light and fluffy, nice and moist, everything a chocolate cake should be. The homemade lemon curd added a bit of sweet tangy brightness to the chocolate cake, making it a perfect combination. The buttercream was deliciously fluffy with the right amount of sweetness and a hint of lemon flavor. The lemon flavor was a bit subtle for my liking, I was hoping for a more pronounced lemon flavor. Next time I make it I might increase the lemon extract to see if it will give it a more pronounced lemon flavor without affecting the consistency of the buttercream.

Chocolate Lemon Curd Cake with Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder

Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 8 egg whites, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• zest of 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• yellow gel food coloring, optional

Filling

• lemon curd

Directions:

Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. 
3. Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar, whisking until well combined.
4. Add in the oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Mix just until combined.
5. Add the espresso powder to the boiling water and mix until combined. Pour the mixture into the mixing bowl and mix just until everything is combined. Batter will be thin.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared baking pans. 
7. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
8. Place the cake pans on a cooling rack and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife between the cake and pan and remove the cakes. Place the cakes on the cooling racks and allow to cool completely.

Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. In a clean heatproof stand mixer bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar.
2. In a medium pot, just big enough to fit the stand mixer bowl snugly without it touching the bottom, bring an inch or two of water to a simmer. Place the stand mixer bowl in the pot, making sure it does not touch the simmering water. Whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and the sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy, or reaches 160º F on a candy thermometer.
3. Place the bowl on the mixer, with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium-high speed until the mixture has formed stiff peaks and the bowl is no longer warm to the touch, about 5-10 minutes.
4. Remove the whisk attachment and add the paddle attachment. Add the butter in 1 tablespoon at a time mixing well after each addition. Continue to mix until the mixture is smooth. 
5. With the mixer running on low speed, add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and lemon extract and yellow food coloring if desired. Continue to mix on low speed until everything is incorporated and frosting is smooth.

Assembly

1. Level the tops of each cake and place one on a cake stand or serving plate.
2. Add some buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe a border of buttercream around the edge of the cake. Fill the middle with about 1/4-1/3 cup of lemon curd. Repeat with another layer of cake. Place the last cake layer on top.
3. Frost the cake with a thin layer of buttercream to seal in the crumbs. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. 
4. Frost the cake and decorate as desired.

Enjoy!!!

*Adapted from Live Well and Bake Often and Chelsweets.

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Homemade Lemon Curd

 

Lemon curd is not only delicious, but it can be quite versatile. The sweet and tart sauce goes with many desserts and works with many breakfast items as well. Making it homemade is not only cheaper than buying it at the store, but it tastes so much better. Plus it is easy to make.

Homemade Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup lemon juice, about 4-5 lemons
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
• zest of 2 lemons

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and lemon juice until well blended. 
2. Stir in the butter and lemon zest.
3. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-8 minutes.
4. For a silky smooth texture, use an immersion blender to briefly blend the sauce.
5. Pour the sauce into a jar and allow to cool to room temperature. 
6. Cover the jar and refrigerate until needed.

Enjoy!!!

Yields: 2 cups

*Adapted from Saving Dessert.

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Make Again Monday: Dill Pickle and Ham Grilled Cheese

 

I really loaded this sandwich up with pickles and ham. When making this sandwich I was stuck with adding a bit more to the sandwich than I wanted or leaving not enough left for another sandwich. So load up the sandwich it was. Which really didn't bother me since I love dill pickles.

To see the recipe and original post click here.

Enjoy!!!

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Butterscotch Custard

This custard was absolutely delicious and the butterscotch flavor was not overly strong. It was delicious with the caramel and without the caramel. 

As I was throughly enjoying this custard, I started to wonder what the difference between pudding and custard was because they tasted the same to me. So I naturally did what anyone would do these days and I googled the answer. I was informed that pudding uses cornstarch to thicken and custard uses eggs to thicken. Plus custard is usually baked in a water bath. Well, this recipe is made very similar to the way I make homemade pudding. So not really sure how this custard is different from the homemade pudding I make, but they are equally delicious.

Butterscotch Custard

Ingredients:

Butterscotch Custard

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Caramel

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Butterscotch Custard

1. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the brown sugar and stir until completely melted and combined with the butter. 
2. Stir in the cornstarch and stir until completely combined. Add in the heavy cream and whole milk. Bring the mixture to a slow rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
3. While the milk mixture is cooking, place the egg yolks in a small bowl. Once the milk mixture has thickened, spoon a small amount of it into the egg yolks while whisking. Continue to whisk and add another small amount of milk mixture. Whisk until completely combined. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot. Bring the mixture back to a boil and boil for 1 minute. 
4. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
5. Pour the mixture into another bowl or individual containers. Cover the custard with plastic wrap making sure the plastic wrap touch the top of the custard to prevent a crust from forming. Refrigerate until completely cooled.

Caramel

1. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter and sugar, stirring constantly. Keep stirring and cooking until the mixture turns an amber color. Watch it carefully because it can burn very quickly.
2. Stir in the heavy cream and boil for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
3. Allow the mixture cool and thicken up.
4. When ready to eat, spoon some of the caramel sauce over the cooled custard.

Enjoy!!!

*Adapted from The Culinary Chase.

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Reuben Sliders

 

I love corned beef and I love a good reuben sandwich.  These sliders take all the goodness of a reuben sandwich and puts it in a handheld, easier to eat version. But it also makes it a bit easier to eat one too many. The only downside to these sliders is that I do not get to enjoy bread that typically goes with a reuben sandwich. Pumpernickel and marble rye are my favorites, but I also enjoy rye bread as well.

I wonder if I could make those kinds of bread into a slider bun. I have made a homemade version of Kings Hawaiian Rolls. Although I have never made any of the other breads. I guess I will add it to my ever growing list of recipes ideas.

Reuben Sliders

Ingredients:

• 14 ounces canned sauerkraut
• 2 tablespoons thousand island dressing
• 12 Hawaiian rolls
• 8 slices Swiss cheese
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced corned beef
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried onion soup mix

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
2. Drain the sauerkraut well and squeeze it dry with some paper towels. Remove as much of the liquid as possible.
3. Place the sauerkraut into a large bowl and stir in the thousand island dressing. Set aside.
4. Leaving the rolls attached to each other, cut in half horizontally. Place the bottom part of the rolls into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Play 4 slices of Swiss cheese onto the bottom half of the rolls. Place the corned beef on top of the cheese followed by the sauerkraut. Add the remaining 4 slices of cheese on top of the sauerkraut and place the top half of the buns on top. 
5. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter and onion soup mix. Brush all of the butter mix onto the tops of the rolls. 
6. Spray some aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the baking dish, cooking spray side down on the rolls.
7. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake an additional 5 minutes or until toasted and browned.

Enjoy!!!

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 268
Total Fat		17.5g
Saturated Fat		8.2g
Trans Fat		0g
Polyunsaturated Fat		0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat		1.7g
Cholesterol		51.9mg
Sodium		391.8mg
Total Carbohydrates		17.7g
Dietary Fiber		0.1g
Sugars		5.7g
Protein		9.9g
Calcium		12.1%
Iron		2%
Potassium		37.4mg
Vitamin A		0%
Vitamin C		0%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from My Heavenly Recipes.

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Make Again Monday: Bacon Ranch Chicken Wrap

 I rather eat a sandwich on sourdough bread than a wrap. However, sometimes I have leftover tortillas from other recipes that I need to use up and a wrap is an easy way to do that. The hardest part of this warp was cooking the chicken. But if you use rotisserie chicken, this wrap becomes even easier.

To see the recipe and original post click here.

Enjoy!!!

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Grilled Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana Sandwich

 

I grew up eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches. It never occurred to me to add jelly as well.  Combining the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the peanut butter and banana sandwich is very delicious.

It also never occurred to me to grill a peanut butter sandwich. I was a bit unsure how I would like such a sandwich grilled, but it turned out delicious. The way the warm melty peanut butter combined with the bananas in the middle and jelly on the bottom was absolutely delicious.

For this sandwich, you can use more of less of the ingredients depending on how much you like in your sandwich. It also depends on the size of bread you use. I used creamy peanut butter because I do not like the crunchy variety. I place the bananas in a single layer on the peanut butter side. For the jelly you could also use jam or preserves in whichever flavor you like best. I was never a grape jelly person, I always preferred strawberry, raspberry or blackberry the best.

Grilled Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 2 slices bread
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon jelly
• 1 small banana, sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat a griddle or skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Spread desired amount of peanut butter on one slice of bread.
3. Spread desired amount of jelly on other slice of bread.
4. Place banana slices in a single layer on the peanut butter. Place jelly slice of bread on top, jelly side down.
5. Place sandwich on griddle or in skillet and cook until bread is lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Carefully flip over and cook on other side until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 498
Total Fat		18.3g
Saturated Fat		3.6g
Trans Fat		0g
Polyunsaturated Fat		0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat		0g
Cholesterol		0mg
Sodium		400mg
Total Carbohydrates		77.9g
Dietary Fiber		5.7g
Sugars		32g
Protein		13.7g
Calcium		6.5%
Iron		16%
Potassium		514.3mg
Vitamin A		0%
Vitamin C		32.2%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from Dining and Cooking.

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