
This is the cake I made for my sister's birthday the other day. It's lemon-y and delicious. In the middle there's a layer of blackberry preserves, toasted almonds and white chocolate ganache. The cake is topped with white chocolate ganache and decorated with candied champagne grapes. I had never tried champagne grapes before, but they were really good. Good n' cute.

And that's that. I really, really hate these pictures though. Lighting is everything!
In other news, I'm planning a trip. Has anyone ever used Priceline?

Lemon Cake with Champagne Grapes, Toasted Almonds and White Chocolate Ganache (Recipe by Me)
Printable Recipe
2 1/3 cups cake flour
2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 large egg yolks
2 cups low fat or Greek yogurt
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
11 ounces white chocolate chips
1/3 cup finely chopped toasted almonds
2/3 cup natural seedless blackberry preserves
1/3 cup halved champagne grapes, plus additional sparkly grapes for garnish*
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (9-inch) cake pans and line with parchment paper; butter and flour sides of pan and parchment paper.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar and lemon zest until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract, egg yolks and lemon juice. Reduce mixer speed to low, and gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with yogurt, until ingredients are incorporated. Beat an additional 2 minutes to insure ingredients are well combined.
Divide batter evenly into prepared pans, smooth surface with a spatula, and bake at 350 degrees F, for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges, and a toothpick inserted into cakes comes out with moist crumbs attached.
Cool for 12 minutes on wire racks, run a knife around outside edges, and invert cakes onto wire racks (removing parchment paper) to cool completely.
To make the white chocolate ganache, heat the cream in a small saucepan, over medium heat, until hot. Pour the cream over the white chocolate chips, set in a large bowl, and stir until melted. Chill in the refrigerator until a good spreadable but pourable consistency.
To assemble, spread some white chocolate ganache on one of the cake layers. Sprinkle the almonds over the white chocolate. In a small bowl, stir together the blackberry preserves and grapes until well combined. Spread grape mixture over almonds. Top with additional cake layer, and pour/spread ganache over the sides and top. Garnish with sparkly grapes.
*To make the sparkly grapes, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan, over medium heat, until mixture is hot. Dip some champagne grapes into the hot sugar water, then dip in turbinado sugar and coat well. Place on waxed paper to dry.
Yield: 8-10 servings
Printable Recipe
2 1/3 cups cake flour
2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 large egg yolks
2 cups low fat or Greek yogurt
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
11 ounces white chocolate chips
1/3 cup finely chopped toasted almonds
2/3 cup natural seedless blackberry preserves
1/3 cup halved champagne grapes, plus additional sparkly grapes for garnish*
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (9-inch) cake pans and line with parchment paper; butter and flour sides of pan and parchment paper.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar and lemon zest until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract, egg yolks and lemon juice. Reduce mixer speed to low, and gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with yogurt, until ingredients are incorporated. Beat an additional 2 minutes to insure ingredients are well combined.
Divide batter evenly into prepared pans, smooth surface with a spatula, and bake at 350 degrees F, for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges, and a toothpick inserted into cakes comes out with moist crumbs attached.
Cool for 12 minutes on wire racks, run a knife around outside edges, and invert cakes onto wire racks (removing parchment paper) to cool completely.
To make the white chocolate ganache, heat the cream in a small saucepan, over medium heat, until hot. Pour the cream over the white chocolate chips, set in a large bowl, and stir until melted. Chill in the refrigerator until a good spreadable but pourable consistency.
To assemble, spread some white chocolate ganache on one of the cake layers. Sprinkle the almonds over the white chocolate. In a small bowl, stir together the blackberry preserves and grapes until well combined. Spread grape mixture over almonds. Top with additional cake layer, and pour/spread ganache over the sides and top. Garnish with sparkly grapes.
*To make the sparkly grapes, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan, over medium heat, until mixture is hot. Dip some champagne grapes into the hot sugar water, then dip in turbinado sugar and coat well. Place on waxed paper to dry.
Yield: 8-10 servings





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25 comments:
yes! Where are you going? Terribly exciting....
I have never used priceline, but my M.I.L. uses it all the time and she loves it. She says that as long as you are not picky about where you stay it is the best.
P.S. That cake looks great!
-Jessica
WOW this looks amazing
I need to take some lessons from you on icing a cake. Looks quite pretty.
I use Priceline all the time, especially for hotels. Are you trying to bid on a flight?
Danger, J. Danger, it's a surprise!
Beth, thanks!
Sharon, really? I'm terrible at decorating cakes.
I want to bid on a hotel.
I hope you are coming to see me and bake me a cake...that's the plan right? Sangria and cake?
Oh, I just can't take looking at all your fabulous desserts! Is that a new header? It looks good!
Where are you going?????? The cake must have been delicious, I love what you've used as filling! Did you chage the header again? Cool!!!
very pretty cake! I like the way you frosted it...and the grapes? the perfect touch--very cool idea to sprinkle them with turbinado :).
These pics look much better than my plate on black stove pictures...:)
I love the taste of lemon and toasted almonds. Looks like a terrific cake.
i refuse to use priceline--william shatner annoys the heck out of me.
meanwhile, awesome cake. i'll take a mega-slab with an extra bowl of ganache on the side. :)
Emiline- I think these grapes look awesome! Maybe the picture environment wasn't perfect for a well trained eye, but I think they look amazing, and so does the whole cake.
I just looked through comments on Anna's Beet Cake post and I read your "You've got the beet" and it took me about two seconds and then I thought it was so hilarious. Totally improved my day. So thanks for that. And for reminding me of that song that I haven't heard in ages.
Can we trade sisters? Mine would try to make me a cake out of tofu and wheat germ. With no sugar. Seriously, this looks wonderful. The combination of flavors works beautifully, and you make it look almost easy.
Love this Emiline is absolutely lovely!!!!xxGloria
Oh, this cake has all the ingredients I love, Emiline! Lemon, almonds and white chocolate... YUM!
I love priceline for hotels and cars. If you are going to bid, check out biddingfortravel.com. It has really helped me out in the past!
I think this cake looks wonderful. I've never had champagne grapes, but they sure are cute!
I have never seen candied champagne grapes--how cool!
If for some reason you are heading to the NYC to look at cooking schools I know someone who would take you out for a drink...
That's a lovely cake and it looks wonderfully simple and tasty. If you have any leftovers, feel free to ship them my way.
I've never used Priceline, but that's because I'm angry with them. Years ago I was desperate to get out of my job and had an interview with Priceline that I thought went well. A couple of days after my interview, I went to a local festival and Priceline had a booth there. It was manned by the woman who interviewed me (is that an Oxymoron to be manned by a woman?) She said, "You'll be hearing from us soon." I never did. Oh well. They probably don't have company picnics like mine!
Thanks all!
Brittany, yep. You guessed it! I'm flying out to Ohio. I've always wanted to visit. :)
CC, see above.
Just kidding.
Grace, yeahhh, he is annoying. I don't know what I'm going to do! Boo hoo. This is going to cost me a fortune.
Why are hotels so expensive?
Lisa, you're welcome! Sometimes I'm kind of out of it when I post comments (the drugs), so I'm glad someone got the joke.
Deborah, thanks. Have to check that site out.
Sarah.... :0 !
Rachel, that's funny. I'm too scared to use Priceline. Guess I'll pay full price.
I like the pictures!
The cake looks Gorgeous! The sugared grapes are simple precious.
What a lovely cake! Happy birthday to your sister. Love the new banner and colour scheme, BTW.
I love everything about this cake Em..the white chocolate, the blackerry preserves, the champagne grapes....
i love lemon cake. your lemon cake is totally out of this world..mine would be the ugly duckling compared to yours! :) loving the frosting.
Emiline this is amazing!!
Maria
x
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