Pink Lemonade Stand Cake

Yummy lemon cake and cream cheese frosting!

This cake sounds super special and worth the fuss in making it.  I would not suggest this cake for a beginner baker.

Such a pretty cake!

Ingredients

1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons seedless strawberry jam, warmed
2 tablespoons thawed pink lemonade concentrate
2 tablespoons grenadine syrup
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons grated lemon peel
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

FROSTING:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons thawed pink lemonade concentrate, divided
Pink sprinkles

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Line bottoms of three greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper.

Whisk the first five ingredients until blended in a small bowl . 

Cream butter, sugar and lemon peel in a large bowl until light and fluffy. 

Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. 

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beating well after each addition.

Transfer batter to prepared pans. 

Bake 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely.

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and lemon peel until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar and 1/3 cup lemonade concentrate. If necessary, refrigerate until spreadable, up to 1 hour.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Brush 1 tablespoon lemonade concentrate over cake; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer; brush remaining lemonade concentrate over top.

Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.

Decorate with sprinkles. Refrigerate until serving. 

Yield: 12 servings.

Nutritional Facts

1 slice (calculated without optional decorations): 732 calories, 39g fat (24g saturated fat), 172mg cholesterol, 291mg sodium, 91g carbohydrate (68g sugars, 1g fiber), 7g protein

Source

Lemon-Rosemary Roasted Chicken Thighs with Potatoes

Baking with rosemary fills the house with a delicious aroma.  I always use rosemary when making a roast chicken and sometimes pork.

First of all, several changes I'd make . . . use boneless chicken tenderloins.  It looks kind of dry and one of the commenters mentioned that she doubles the recipe for the dressing . . . I can see why.  Also, I would dice the potatoes and steam in the microwave for about 5 or 6 minutes before baking in the oven.  It is something I do to ensure crispier potatoes that are always tender and fluffy inside.

This is one of those recipes that is a fairly quick prep and the oven does most of the work!

Recipe and Photo Source:  Rachael Ray

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
2 lemons--1 zested and juiced (about 1 1/2 tsp. zest, 4 tbsp. juice) and 1 thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
4 sprigs fresh rosemary

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees . 

Whisk the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, mustard and garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Toss the potatoes, chicken, rosemary and sliced lemon with the dressing in a rimmed baking dish. Season. 

Arrange the potato mixture and chicken, skin side up, in a single layer.

Roast, about 35 to 40 minutes, turning the potatoes once, until the potatoes are golden-brown and tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Delicious Lemon Cheesecake Pie

If you love cheesecake and lemons, you will love this pie!

For The Captain and I, it is a keeper.  The filling was slightly tart, slightly sweet with a creamy texture and so delicious.  Topping with whipped cream before serving is like icing on a cake.  I would not have it any other way!

The recipe is adapted from the website Real Simple . . . the photo is from Real Simple.  It shows a pre-made crust, but I wanted a graham cracker crust to make it more like a cheesecake.  Great choice!

Ingredients:

• Graham Cracker Crust
• 2-8 oz bars cream cheese (softened)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• whipped cream

Directions:

Combine all ingredients until smooth and pour into crust.

Bake at 325 degrees 40 to 50 minutes (filling will be set, but a bit wobbly).

Before serving, top with a layer of whipped cream.

Lemon Blueberry Cake

When you are short on time, Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade recipes are the best!  I just watched this episode on the Food Network and she put this gorgeous cake together really fast.

Gorgeous cake . . . and I can almost taste the wonderful lemon flavors.

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee
The Food Network
SHOW: Semi-Homemade Cooking
EPISODE: Grilling on the Mississippi


Ingredients

• 2 (8-inch) round store-bought (bakery) yellow or white cake layers
• 1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract, divided
• 2 (12-ounce) cans cream cheese flavored frosting
• Fresh mint sprigs
• Fresh blueberries
• Lemon slices, quartered
  
  

Directions

Use a knife to slice cake layers in half horizontally. 

Use a pastry brush to brush each layer with lemonade concentrate; set aside. 

Stir 1 teaspoon of lemon extract into each can of frosting; set aside. 

To assemble cake: frost and stack the cake layers on top of each other.

Decorate cake with clusters of mint sprigs, blueberries, and quartered lemon slices. 

Easy Lemon Cake

Lemon recipes are always on my mind when searching recipes.

This cake is the ultimate semi-homemade, quick and easy recipe and looks delicious!

The recipe is courtesy of Kraft . . . check out their recipe section . . . link at the end of the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (2-layer size) lemon cake mix
• 2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding
• 1-1/2 cups cold milk
• 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

Instructions

PREPARE cake batter and bake as directed on package for 2 (8- or 9-inch) round cake layers. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

BEAT pudding mixes and milk with whisk 2 min. Immediately spread over tops of cakes.

STACK cake layers. Frost with COOL WHIP.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

VARIATION
Bake cake in 13x9-inch pan; cool. Do not remove from pan. Spread cake with pudding mixture, then COOL WHIP.

SPECIAL EXTRA
Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint leaves just before serving.

Recipe and Photo Source:  Kraft

Lemon Ricotta Crepes

This recipe will be a totally new experience for me . . .

I've never made crepes before!

The Captain and I are thrilled that our lemon and

lime trees are vigorously producing fruit!  I'm

especially excited about a new citrus tree putting

out fruit . . . the seeds came from some

delicious little lemons from a friend's yard.

You guessed it . . . I'm on the lookout for recipes

using lemons and limes!!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cups  whole milk
• 4  large eggs
• 1  cup  all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 3  tablespoons  unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the skillet
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  finely grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice, plus 1 thinly sliced lemon
• 1/2  cup  plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1  cup  ricotta
• 1  tablespoon  honey, plus more for serving

Directions

1. In a blender, blend the milk, eggs, flour, butter, salt, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar until very foamy, about 1 minute. Transfer to the refrigerator and let rest, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, boil 1/2 cup of water and the remaining ½ cup of sugar, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon slices and simmer until tender and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes; let cool.
3. Wipe a medium nonstick skillet with butter and heat over medium heat. Add ¼ cup of the crepe batter and swirl the skillet so the batter completely covers the bottom of the pan. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently loosen the edge of the crepe with a spatula and, using your fingers, flip the crepe. Continue to cook until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. (Don’t be disappointed if the first crepe does not come out well; the batter makes enough for 13.) Repeat with the remaining batter.
4. In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, ricotta, and honey. Dividing evenly, spread the ricotta mixture on the crepes (about 1 tablespoon each) and roll up. Serve topped with the lemon slices and drizzled with additional honey.

Source:  Real Simple
By Charlyne Mattox , April, 2012
Photo Credit: José Picayo