It’s time for another of my favorite posts, our Vintage Recipe Swap!! Earlier in the year I was asked to join a recipe swap by Christianna from Burwell General Store, she had found a vintage cookbook, All Day Singin’ And Dinner On The Ground, a junk store find, and each month we get a vintage recipe from the cookbook, to update and remake as we interpret the recipe.. This time around, our recipe was for a “Jelly Cake”, an old-fashioned layer cake.
Although we get these recipes a few weeks ahead of time, I try not to think too much about the recipes until I actually need to make it, usually waiting until a day or 2 before its due to begin preparations for the challenge. I always work better under pressure!
While at the farmer’s market Saturday morning, they had local blueberries available, and I began to think about a blueberry cake, but it was supposed to be a jelly cake, so I needed some type of jelly to put in between the layers. Last years attempt at jelly making was less than stellar, but I needed a good filling to wedge between my luscious blueberry cakes. As I walked further into the market, one vendor had a display of very non local fruits, and the lemons began calling to me……..hmmmm, then it came to me lemon curd, and that I can make!
I did remember seeing an article on lemon curd on the Fine Cooking web site (one of my favorite magazines), and the writer had mentioned how her hairdresser had made her lemon curd with great success by treating it as though it was a cake. Now I’m all for making life easier, so I thought I would give it a try. What makes this recipe so different is the technique, instead of making it on the stove and risking cooking the eggs in the process, you simply make it all in your mixer then transfer it to the stove to finish thickening the curd.
What I did come up with was the best lemon curd I had ever made, it was so creamy and velvety that I wanted to just eat the whole bowl full! Feel free to use your own curd recipe, but do try the mixing method you won’t be sorry!
Blueberry-lemon cake
Blueberry Cake
Ingredients:
¾ Cup butter
1. Preheatoven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and Prepare 2- 9 inch round cake
2. Creambutter and add 3/4 cup of sugar until fluffy. Add salt and vanilla.
3. Separate eggs and reserve the whites.
4. Add egg yolks to the sugar mixture one at a time and beat until creamy. Mix greek yogurt with milk.
5. Combine flour and baking powder; add alternately with milk/yogurt mixture to egg yolk mixture.
6. Ina separate bowl, beat whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at
a time, and beat until stiff peaks form.
7. Foldegg whites into batter..
8. Add Flour to berries to coat and add into batter.
9. Add Batter into prepared pans, and sprinkle with tops with raw sugar. Bake at 350 degrees
for about 30 minutes or until done in the center.
Ingredients:
8oz. unsalted butter – softened
hours before using.
My friends this cake turned out exceptionally well, the crumb of the blueberry cake was dense, but not dry, it had a little more substance to it then just a yellow cake, and the sweet tart flavor of the fresh blueberries added to the experience. But I have to say that the star of the show was the lemon curd, not only did it compliment the cake so well, but the contrast in flavors made this cake into a symphony of flavors that just danced across the palate….sigh
This cake would make a wonderful coffee cake as well, just using the blueberry cake recipe, I would just cut it my one third and make one layer. Just dust it with confectioners sugar and you have a perfect breakfast treat! Although I do encourage you to give that lemon curd a try, you certainly won’t be disappointed!
Thanks for stopping by today and if you get a chance stop by Burwell General Store and see all of the other bloggers participating in the recipe swap. If you would like to join us next time, just send Christianna an email, we would love to have you!
Cheers
Dennis
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The Yankee Chef says
It’s fun to see the older recipes isn’t it Dennis. I am a food columnist, author and the foremost New England Food Historian but I also have started researching Virginia food history and have come across some great old recipes. Thanks for sharing Chef. Take a peak at my blog, not only for the recipes, but historical food related items as well.
Sue G. says
Chef Dennis, I have a couple questions about the recipe. Unfortunately, I’m in the middle of making it, so I guess I’ll have to wing it:(
In the cake ingredient portion, you list 3/4 cup sugar, but in the directions you mention creaming the butter with 1 cup sugar until fluffy. I’m going to go with the 3/4. Also in the ingredients, you list 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, but don’t mention it in the directions. I’ll whisk the yogurt into the milk before adding to the egg yolks? Or perhaps the yogurt goes into the egg yolks? Here’s hoping that mine comes out similar to yours! Please let me know your original intent so that I can adjust my recipe.
Chef D says
hi Sue
so sorry about the recipe, The whole amount of sugar is 1 cup, but split into two parts, 3/4 with the intial mix and 1/4 with the egg whites. Mix the yogurt into the milk and then follow the instructions that just list milk
let me know how it turns out. Just make sure you bake it long enough so it sets properly.
Dennis
Elizabeth of AsianinAmericamag says
Chef Dennis, what a gorgeous cake ! My son loves lemon and I must make this for him soon. Thanks for sharing this…another great recipe in your awesome blog!
FamilySpice says
I'm drooling all over my keyboard!!!
mom in rome says
such a cool blog!!!
I added you in my blogroll!!
thanks for sharing all these great recipes!
Priya says
Yummy! This is one of the best recipes in the swap for sure.
Lana says
I am slowly going around and looking at the recipes from the others in our group, and it has been really fun!
I love Cristianna's concept, and I am so glad that I decided to join:)
Your cake is right up my alley – I love tartness of the lemon curd and blueberries are one of my favorite fruits.
BTW, thanks for those links! I can't wait to spend some time browsing (that Suite 101 could be so right for me:)
Maranda says
This cake looks fantastic! It looks very rustic and beautiful. The colors compliment each other very well. I've never made lemon curd but now I'm excited to try it with this new technique! Thanks for sharing!
Erin says
This is such a great cake! I love how you changed the recipe – that filling looks to die for! I think I could just eat that 🙂
Julie M. says
Just beautiful Dennis! You did a wonderful job on your remake. I will definitely have to try that method for curd; it sounds so much easier!
Skylar Wolfe says
Looks fantastic, I love the combination of blueberries and lemon for the tart and sour.
Sabrina Modelle says
I love this Dennis. Lemon curd is my absolute favorite condiment in the world. Well, that and homemade mayonnaise, but it's close. What a great method and a beautiful interpretation.
Lauren at Keep It Sweet says
That looks amazing!
A SPICY PERSPECTIVE says
Love these old-school recipes. Lemon with blueberries is always a good idea. 🙂
Apron Appeal says
blueberries, lemons…cake…so many of my favorites.
Marguerite says
Love these vintage recipes and this cake looks so scrumptious! Seriously drooling! You are killing me with this one! 🙂
Chrissy says
What a gorgeous cake, and lovely summer flavors!