Lemon Cake with Champagne Grapes, Toasted Almonds and White Chocolate Ganache

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