Thursday, July 1, 2010

Raspberry Lemon Cake

My youngest daughter loved this cake and has already requested it for her birthday. She said the filling tasted like the filling in a lemon filled doughnut. The recipe that I based this off of describes it as tasting just like a Lemon Meringue Pie...they actually used a Meringue frosting on the cake, but since we aren't big meringue fans I changed the icing. (Like how I did that?...changed from frosting to icing...I just never know what to call it. I use both and most of the time switch back and forth between them in the same conversation.) Anyway, back to the cake...it is very good and has a good lemon flavor to it and we love lemon!!!

Raspberry Lemon Cake
Adapted from a Taste of Home recipe: Lemon Meringue Cake

Ingredients
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) lemon cake mix
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup water
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil

FILLING:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
4 teaspoons butter
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
(Or you can substitute 1 can Lemon pie filling for the lemon filling if you don't want to make it yourself.)
Raspberry Jam or spreadable fruit

Icing:
1 (16oz) Cool Whip
1/4 c lemon filling (or you could just add some lemon juice and zest)
Raspberries and lemon zest for garnish.


In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, water and oil. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.

For filling, in a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in water and juice until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; gently stir in butter and lemon peel. Cool completely. Reserve 1/4 cup for Icing.

For icing, fold 1/4 cup of lemon filling into the Cool Whip. Mix well. (Note: when you add the filling it will change the texture but when you frost the cake and smooth it with a damp spatula it will smooth out.)

You could substitute any flavor jam and fruit that you would like in place of the raspberries...blackberries, blueberries, strawberries...anything would go well with the lemon.

Cut each cake horizontally into two layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the filling. Top with cake layer, spread raspberry jam over cake. Top with next layer of cake, spread remaining lemon filling over this layer and then top with remaining cake layer. Spread icing over top and sides of cake and smooth icing with a damp spatula. Garnish with fresh raspberries and lemon zest. Store cake in refrigerator.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! If you have stumbled across it I may as well tell you a little about my self and why I am writing a blog. I am a Southern born and raised and proud of it, wife, stay at home mom, and grandma...although my grandkids don't call me that...I'm Radoo to three of them and not sure what the other one is going to call me, lol...long story! One that I will save for another time. I have three of the greatest kids ever, two girls and one boy. My oldest, mom to three of my grandkids...and yes the three that call me Radoo, has flown the coop and is now raising a family of her own. My middle child, the youngest daughter, is still at home and deciding what she wants to do with her life besides raising her own family someday (and I love having her here...dread the day she up and leaves me...but before you get the wrong idea I'm not one of those moms who can't let go...I want my kids to grow into amazing adults and experience life, love, and having their own families...besides when they do that I get the fun of having grandkids to spoil). My youngest, the only boy and according to his sisters the spoiled one...I don't think so though, is stretching his wings and I miss the days when he was just mom's little buddy. He is a very giving person and is always helping others. And he loves anything outdoors...he always ready to go fishing. Yep, I raised him right. LOL I'm proud of my kids (that's my youngest two in the picture on our most recent mini vacation) and the wonderful people they are becoming (well they've always been wonderful...now they are becoming wonderful "adult" people...haha) but I do miss the days when they were little and a kiss from mom could fix all of their booboos. And of course the times when they thought mommy was the greatest, but that revelation is beginning to redawn on some of them :-) as they begin to face life and all that being a mommy/adult is all about. I've made plenty of mistakes and wish that I could do somethings over and be the mom that I always wanted to be, but I have always loved my kids and always will. I guess we all fall short of who we want to be at some point but all we can do is do our best from this day forward and make the most of the rest of our lives and not live in a cloud of regret looking back and missing out on what is ahead.
Well on to why I started this blog...my oldest daughter keeps asking me for recipes so I thought this would be a way to get them to her and give me a chance to write a little at the same time. So, the recipes that you will find on this blog will be recipes both old and new that our family has cooked over the years. Some of them are family favorites that have been around for many years and others are new favorites that we have recently added to our growing list. I love cookbooks and looking at recipes online. I have quite a few favorite online sites that I love to just go and browse around on. But I don't cook by recipes, I'm always changing them...adding more of this, leaving something out, adding something in...recipes to me are more of a springboard, a place to get new ideas that I can put my own twist on to make it mine...so getting all these recipes down for my kids will be an experience. I cook like my grandma...a little of this, a pinch of that...I cook by taste and feel...Oh that feels like enough.LOL And I'm constantly just making things up...oh that sounds good, well that would go good in here, these go good together. So, have fun on here get some ideas for things that you can put your own twist on so that they can become family favorites at your house and then stop back by and share what you did to make it yours and let me know how your family liked it.
As you can tell....I ramble....
And for some reason, I have a habit when I write online to use...I don't know why....I just like doing that...so sorry if it bothers you....feel free to complain...but don't expect that to stop me...LOL...because it probably won't...I'm annoying that way. LOL...