Lemon Meringue Cake

I'm gonna be honest. I've never been a huge fan of lemon meringue pie. I always feel like there's way to much meringue, not enough lemon, and crust that's falling to pieces. It's not that I hate lemon meringue pie, because I've had good lemon meringue pie before. It's just not my first choice.

This cake, on the other hand? It's perfect. Spongy layers of lemon poppyseed cake, tangy lemon curd, and a light, fluffy meringue on top. There's a kick of cardamon in the batter, which is completely optional. If your looking for a sweeter cake, leave out the cardamon. However, if you want to add an extra flavor, go for it.

The trick to getting the perfect, toasty look is by using a kitchen torch. I'm not sure where mine came from, as my Dad purchased it a couple of years ago. However, I'm sure you could find one in Target or even online. We had some trouble finding the butane for the torch, but ended up finding it in Walgreens of all places. Surprising, huh?

I think the reason I liked this cake so much was the fact that nothing was too overpowering. Unlike my problem with way too much meringue in lemon meringue pies, there's a great cake to meringue ratio in this cake. The lemon curd filling was pretty thin, and if I make this cake again, I will most likely double the lemon curd recipe. However, you could still taste the tang of the curd even with the small amount. You can see my post on the lemon curd here.

This cake is perfect for the upcoming summer season, and I most definitely recommend you try it out. I won't say it's easy, because it does require some effort, but the end result is worth it. You can find the recipe on The Cake Blog here. Let me know in the comments below if you try this delight, and happy baking!

XOXO,

Corinne

Homemade Lemon Curd

Lemon curd has always been a favorite of mine. When I was younger, I used to spread it on my toast instead of jam. Me and my mum would make these lemon drop cookies, which were basically shortbread thumbprint cookies with lemon curd in the center. It wasn't until recently that I actually started looking into making my own jams and such.

I'm actually planning on making this Lemon Meringue Cake on The Cake Blog, and the recipe requires homemade lemon curd. The recipe for the lemon curd is below the cake recipe.

Fresh lemon has always tasted nicer than the lemon juice you find in those little bottles at the grocery store. This recipe uses both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Different types of lemons will give your curd a different flavor, but I just used regular lemons.

If you do plan on making the cake, the three egg whites not used in the curd recipe can be used for the meringue. I tend to keep extra egg yolks/whites in a little Tupperware in the fridge for later use. Just make sure the yolks/whites are still fresh the next time you use them.

This curd will not only taste nice in cakes, it also tastes good on toast and on cookies (like stated above :) ). Hopefully you consider giving this recipe a try, and let me know how it goes in the comments section below.

XOXO,

Corinne

Baked Vanilla Bean Doughnuts

Cake is delicious. Cupcakes, birthday cakes, cake batter, cake pops, anything with cake. It's all delicious. But baked doughnuts, they're practically cake for breakfast. And who needs a reason the eat cake for breakfast?

I think baked doughnuts are perfect, because they're so much easier to make than regular doughnuts, yet still so impressive. I also consider them much healthier as they aren't fried. Yeah, I know, it's a stretch. But hey, it's true. ;)

Of course, you don't have to eat these doughnuts for breakfast. They're great for an afternoon snack, and would go lovely with a fresh pot of tea. Invite some friends over, gather round, and share these delicacies. Or, eat them all yourself. That works too.

The key to these doughnuts is the vanilla bean pod. Yes, they're expensive. But, they give such a nice vanilla flavor, they're totally worth it. I found mine in the spice aisle at the grocery store. If you're crunched for time, you can always use vanilla paste, or even vanilla extract. However, vanilla bean pods are the best option.

Another thing you'll need if you attempt these doughnuts is a doughnut pan. You can find them on Amazon here. If you do invest in a doughnut pan, I recommend buying 2 at once. Most doughnut recipes make a dozen, so buying two will save you from switching stuff around halfway through.

You can find the original recipe on Cooking Classy here. I hope you try out these doughnuts, and enjoy them as much as I did.

XOXO,

Corinne