Blackberry Almond Tart

By the time you see this blog I will be on a plane with my overpacked (and more than likely over the weight limit) bags heading east to spend a long weekend with my nephew. Last summer we spent a long weekend exploring several towns in Montana, his 'summer internship' home state. This year our adventure will be spent discovering various parts of Pennsylvania, his 'first job post college graduation' home state. While our whirlwind weekend is already over planned (hardly a surprise there), I am secretly hoping we can squeeze in a stop in at least one antique store (because how can one possibly spend any time in Pennsylvania and not look for centuries old treasures?) and a farmer's market or road side stand (because how could one resist the allure of freshly harvested fruits and vegetables). Keeping my fingers crossed the platter of homemade chocolate chip cookies baked in the wee hours before leaving for the airport will be enough to sway him into granting one, if not both, of these wishes. 

If our Pennsylvania adventure is anything like the one we had in Montana, this should be another story-filled, memorable, heart-endearing, great food finds, filled with firsts, reinforcing my quirky aunt status (but not 100% of the time) trips. What comes with getting older and wiser is the realization that the memories of a trip or adventure are far more valuable than any tangible gift could ever be (except maybe that 8th grade graduation not exactly jump up and down exciting graphing calculator present).  If I asked my now chemical engineering degreed nephew what were the gifts he received for all of the significant events in his life, he may recall some of them. But if I asked him about the trips to New Orleans, Montana, the Ivy League college visits, or the weekend visit adventures, I am pretty certain he would remember details from each of them. Even the ones going back to when he was just two years old (although there are few things I would like for him to forget!). Family connections aside, this amazing closeness between us, without a doubt, has been as a result of the quality and quantity of time we have spent and continue to spend together. 

The weather here this week felt more autumnal than summery. Definitely cause for it's own kind of celebration. With the decreased heat and humidity came the added incentive to bake this light and fluffy frangipane with seasonal blackberry tart. 

If by chance you have never made or tasted anything having an almond rich frangipane (fran-jee-pan-ee) filling before, it is your lucky day. Similar to a pastry cream, almond paste is mixed together with sugar, butter, eggs, and flour to create a soft, velvety, spreadable cream and used primarily as a filling in tarts or croissants. Topped with slivered almonds and sanding sugar, this Blackberry Almond Tart has both a buttery crust and a luscious frangipane filling studded with fresh, ripe blackberries. In a single bite it is french pastry meets summer bounty goodness. Or in other worlds, it is one of those best of both worlds kind of tarts. 

My anxiety-free crust making confidence took a bit of a setback in the making of this tart. Not only was the crust dough was much softer than I had anticipated, it was also slightly more humid than I realized. The crust ingredients call for 1 1/2 cups of pastry flour, but I should have added a little flour more before attempting to knead the dough. And had I allowed the crust to refrigerate for longer than two hours I may have never had to experience a few moments of angst when rolling out and transferring the dough to the 9 inch tart pan. All growling aside, I managed to make it all work. These were the lessons learned when making this tender crumb, buttery crust. So if by any chance you have a similar experience when you make this crust, just persevere as it is incredibly delicious when baked.

The pastry filling will come together easier if you cut up the almond paste before mixing with the butter and sugar. Another one of the lessons learned in the making of this tart.

The almond paste rich taste of the filling might have you think the sliced almonds on top are unnecessary or a bit too much. They aren't. Not only do they add a beautiful finishing touch to the tart, they add some crunch. My new favorite thing is adding a little 'sparkle' on tarts and most pies. Sprinkling a white/clear sanding sugar gives them the most beautiful bakery look finish.

The tart is baked in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven in the lower part of the oven. In case you ever wondered if oven rack position matters, it does. Most cookies and cakes are baked on a rack centered in the oven. As a general rule, if having the bottom brown during baking is critical, the rack is adjusted lower in the oven. Conversely, if it is the top you want to brown, the rack would be adjusted higher. This tart needs both a browned bottom and browned top. So if after 35 of baking time the top of your tart is not a golden brown color, place it on a higher rack and back for an additional 5-10 minutes.

The only adornment this Blackberry Almond Tart needs is a light dusting of confectionary sugar. Some slightly sweetened whipped cream would be nice to balance out the deep almond flavor of the tart, but completely optional.

After cooling the tart on a wire rack, remove the rim of the pan and place the tart on a platter. This is one of those worthy of being placed on a 'pedestal' platter.

Before blackberries go out of season, and you want to make something other than a cobbler, pie or crisp, consider making this tart. 

Well it's getting late here and I still have a long list of things to get done before I leave the house. And if there is anyone you care about deeply, love, or value being in your life, spend time with them, make memories as often as you can, go on an adventure, share meals together, bake for them. Have a great weekend. 

Recipe

Blackberry Almond Tart (slight adaptation the Blackberry Almond Tart recipe created by Elsie Rhodes, a pastry chef at the Hyannis (MA) Pain D'Avignon)

Ingredients

Crust

15 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup confectionary sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups pastry flour, plus additional for work surface

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

6 ounces almond paste, cut into pieces (recommend Odense Almond Paste)

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 pints fresh blackberries

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1-2 Tablespoons sanding sugar (optional)

Confectionary sugar for dusting

Directions

Crust

1. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or using a hand held mixer, cream butter and confectionary sugar at medium speed until mixture is pale in color (approximately 2-3 minutes).

2. Add egg and beat well.

3. Add flour, vanilla and salt, mixing until combined.

4. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface, kneading for 2 or 3 turns. Note: This is a softer dough, however, if your dough feels 'unkneadable' add little more flour. 

5. Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Recommend allowing the dough to chill at least 3 hours as a chilling time of 2 hours made rolling out the dough a bit challenging.

6. Roll chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 1/4" thick circle. Transfer to a 9 inch removable bottom tart pan. Press dough into sides of pan and roll the rolling pin over top of tart pan to create a clean finished top. Refrigerate dough while preparing the filling.

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) and set rack to the bottom of the oven.

Filling and Assembly

1. Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand held mixer, cream the almond paste with the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 5 to 7 minutes).

2. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.

3. With the mixer on low speed, add flour and beat until blended.

4. Scrape filling into the prepared shell, using an offset spatula to smooth the top.

5. Press blackberries down into the filling, distributing them evenly throughout. 

6. Top with sliced almonds and sanding sugar.

7. Place tart on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until top is golden brown (approximately 35-40 minutes). Note: My baking time was almost 45 minutes.

8. Allow tart to cool on a wire rack.

9. Remove rim from tart and transfer to a platter or cake stand. Lightly dust with confectionary sugar.

10. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. 

Optional: Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream and/or additional fresh blackberries.

Chile-Cumin Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Cucumbers

Seriously, who does not love meatballs? Meatballs on sandwiches, meatballs with pasta, meatballs in soup, meatballs on top of macaroni and cheese, meatballs on a pizza, cocktail meatballs, Swedish meatballs, a meatball bahn mi, or meatballs all by themselves. Okay, well maybe those, who for a myriad of personal or health reasons, no longer subscribe to a carnivorous way of life. However, for those of us who continue to indulge ourselves in those little round, juicy, tender bites of comfort food deliciousness, these Chile-Cumin Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Cucumbers definitely need to put on the meatball rotation. Why? Well because it would almost be a crime not to experience them.

Depending on your early life influences, the advice given by the food writers or chefs you have put on your own silver plater, the recipe you are making, or simply your taste preferences, you will fry, roast/bake, and/or braise your meatballs. There are some rather loyal and overly passionate professional and home cooks out there who swear (although not literally use four letter words) to advocate for the single, one right way to cook meatballs. I happen to know a couple of them. Then there are those of like me, who at the moment, don't seem to have a foot in one particular meatball cooking camp. We are apt to sing the praises of all of them, until such time we feel compelled to choose only one. Spoiler Alert: These meatballs are fried. There are only so many food battles one can fight. And the last time I checked I believe I had exceeded my quota. 

Immediately upon seeing chef Seamus Mullen's recipe for Chile-Cumin Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Cucumbers in the April (2015) issue of Bon Appetit, I knew it was one of those 'absolutely, definitely, must make' dishes. Actually I was salivating at the thought of the taste of these meatballs. Shame on me for procrastinating several months before making it. Looking back, there were several occasions where these meatballs, along with some homemade hummus and grilled Naan, would have made for the perfect 'little' meal or 'appetizers'. But the kicking myself doesn't end there. Had I made this recipe when I first saw it, I would have bought and planted more herbs this summer (oh, how spoiled I was in the east coast farmhouse). 

This recipe looks complicated and time consuming. It really isn't (although degree of difficulty lends itself to various interpretations). However, there are quite a few spices in both the meatballs and the sauce which some of you may find a little off-putting (please try to get over that feeling). However, if you have a well stocked spice drawer, are a big fan and maker of Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes, or make lamb somewhat frequently, you will not be deterred by the number of spices and herbs going into the making of these meatballs. You might even be saying 'the more the merrier'! 

Time for a bit of a digression and true confession. More often than I sometimes like to admit (at least publicly), there are ingredients I have never used before, making me a little clueless as to where to find them in the grocery store. So if you are someone (like me) who has never cooked with pasilla chiles before, don't look for them in the produce section (like I did). They are actually dried chiles and most likely found in one of the ethnic food aisles of your grocery store. 

Removing the seeds from the dried pasilla chiles reduces the amount of 'heat' in the sauce. So if when you saw the word chile in the recipe you immediately thought 'hot', you would have guessed wrong. The better description of them is 'robustly flavored'. The Bon Appetit recipe called for the use of red pepper flakes, however, I used Aleppo pepper instead as it somewhat milder in flavor and heat. But if you like spicy hot, feel free to use the red pepper flakes. I don't have a spice grinder or use my coffee grinder for grinding herbs. Instead I use a small food processor which so far has worked well.

In addition to dried spices, the meatballs are made with three different fresh herbs (parsley, oregano and sage) and topped with another (mint). 

The meatball mixture comes together easily in a food processor. 

For uniform sized meatballs I like using an ice cream scoop. This recipe yields approximately 24-26 1 1/2 inch in diameter meatballs. For a gathering 5 or 6 people (where you were making this and one other appetizer) a single batch of the meatballs and sauce should be plenty (unless of course they come to your house and are 'hangry'). More than likely though, there will be not be any leftovers. 

If you have a cast iron skillet, use it to fry up these meatballs. If you don't use the heaviest bottom fry pan that you have. In the 5 to 8 minutes it takes to cook the meatballs, you want to make sure they are cooked through and have a nice crust (not burnt) crust to them. It took only two Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to fry up all of these meatballs.

Once cooked, the meatballs are transferred to a baking sheet lined with paper towels in order to allow them to drain. 

The drained meatballs are then mixed in with the chile-cumin sauce. As delicious as these meatballs are all by themselves, they are transformed when coated in the sauce. Note: If by chance you make a double batch of the meatballs and sauce and have some leftover, they do reheat up nicely in a very low oven or in the microwave.

English cucumbers mixed with some lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, sherry vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt and pepper are the perfect compliment to the meatballs. The crisp slightly acidic cucumbers, the creaminess of the yogurt, and the deeply flavored meatballs make for the ultimate meatball eating experience.

This is definitely what I would call one of those 'impressive' dishes. The kind of dish that makes any of us home cooks look like professional chefs, yet it doesn't require years of culinary training or expertise to be able to make. These are after all just meatballs. Only these Chile-Cumin Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Cucumbers are the kind most likely to leave an impression on your palate, the kind of impression you are not likely to forget, and more than likely want to experience again and again and again. Yet if by chance you subscribe to the notion of all good things in 'moderation' (aka an incomprehensible, deprivation-like form self-control), these meatballs will have you rethinking it. These are one of those 'Life is short' reminders we all need every once in a while.

Recipe
Chile-Cumin Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Cucumbers (slight adaptation to Bon Appetit's Chile-Cumin Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Cucumbers April 2015 recipe)
Makes approximately 24-26 meatballs.

Ingredients
Chile Sauce
3 dried pasilla chiles, seeds removed, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper (or can use crushed red pepper flakes)
1 Tablespoon cumin seeds
1/4 cup sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1 Tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt

Meatballs
1/4 cup onion, minced
7-8 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 pounds ground lamb
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Cucumber Mixture and Assembly
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup plain cow's or sheep's whole milk yogurt (recommend Fage) or Labna
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
Aleppo pepper (or crushed red pepper) for serving

Directions
Chile-Cumin Sauce
I. In a small skillet, toast chopped chiles, aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes) and cumin seeds over medium heat. Toss occasionally until fragrant and cumin seeds are golden (approximately 3 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. In either a mini-food processor or spice mill, process spice mixture until finely ground. Transfer to a small food processor.

3. To the spice mixture, add the sherry vinegar, smoked sweet paprika and garlic. Blend until smooth.
4. With motor running, slowly add in extra virgin olive oil until combined. Transfer to a bowl and season to taste with salt.
5. Cover sauce whether or not serving immediately. If not, place chile sauce in the refrigerator. It can be made several hours or up to 2 days ahead. When serving, heat sauce slightly to take the chill off.

Meatballs
1. In a large food processor, pulse onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, sage, fennel seeds, coriander, cumin and 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt until finely chopped.
2. Add ground lamb, egg and flour. Pulse until combined.
3. Form lamb mixture into 1 1/2" balls.
4. In a large skillet (preferably a cast iron skillet), heat 2 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. 
5. Working in 2 batches, cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through on all sides (about 5-8 minutes). Transfer cooked meatballs to a sheet pan lined with paper towels to drain. Note: If needed can add 1 additional tablespoon of olive oil to pan, however, I found it wasn't necessary.
6. Transfer meatballs to a medium-sized bowl and add chile sauce. Toss to coat.

Cucumber Mixture and Assembly
1. In a medium sized bowl, toss cucumbers with lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, sherry vinegar and 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
2. For individual servings, spoon some of the yogurt sauce on the plate/bowl, top with 4-5 meatballs, add 7-8 slices of cucumber, sprinkle lightly with chopped mint and aleppo pepper flakes. Serve immediately.
3. For buffet serving, spread yogurt on bottom on platter, arrange meatballs, add cucumber slices, sprinkle lightly with chopped mint and aleppo pepper flakes. Serve immediately.
Notes: (1) Meatballs are delicious warm or at room temperature, (2) If yogurt is too thick to spread, mix in some freshly squeezed lemon juice so it has a creamier texture, (3) If making for a large gathering, make a double batch and (4) If you serve with some Grilled Naan and homemade hummus, well you don't just have a full meal, you have the makings of a party.

Random photos of bridges.

Hazelnut English Chocolate Crisps

"Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of the telescope." (Dr. Seuss) In the childhood of my dreams I would come home from a long day of and even longer walk from school to find a June Cleaver clone standing with a plate of freshly made cookies. Warm out of the oven would be nice, but this fantasy isn't that fussy. It doesn't matter what kind of cookies they were, although they absolutely needed to contain some chocolate. Milk, dark, or white chocolate, it doesn't matter. However, as my cookie preferences have shifted over the years, there have been some revisions to this childhood school day fantasy. In its' current iteration Ina Garten has taken on the role of June Cleaver and the cookies...well they are still homemade with chocolate in them, but now they also contain some kind of nut. Walnuts, pecans, pistachios, almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, it really doesn't matter. Because one of the nice things about indulging yourself in a fantasy, without risking being perceived as someone who has completely lost touch with reality or worse yet, confuses reality with the fantasy, is being able to make changes to it as your life experiences change.

Whenever I see a recipe for a 'no-bake' cookie or bar (Rice Krispie Treats exempted), I am a little hesitant to try it. From some reason when I see 'no bake' I hear 'instant', as in 'instant pudding', 'instant potatoes' and all of those other 'instant' foods that really don't compare to their 'real' counterparts (with a few exceptions). For months now I have been fighting the urge to make a 'no-bake' cookie recipe published in Food and Wine sometime last year. But then I saw Ina Garten make a similar version of this cookie from her Make it Ahead cookbook and well, if it was good enough for Ina to make, how could it not be good? No let me take that back. How could it not be great? As an Ina seal of approval in 2015 might possibly be a more highly coveted endorsement than the Good Housekeeping seal of approval created more than a century ago.

After comparing the two recipes, I thought I would try my hand at creating a hybrid of the two while adding my own spin to it by combining my love of both chocolate and nuts into a single cookie. 

If making a 'no bake' cookie wasn't enough of a significant departure from my cookie baking preferences, then making one using corn flakes would make anyone question whether or not I had truly lost my mind. 'Breathe', I kept telling myself, 'If making cookies using cornflakes is good enough for Ina, it is good enough for you can too'. 

There are two kinds of nuts in this cookie: hazelnuts and pistachios. Roasting the hazelnuts further deepens the chocolate nuttiness taste to them as well as aids in removing their bitter tasting skins. There are also two kinds of chocolate: milk and dark. Use good quality chocolate, the kind you would use for candy-making, the kind that after melted it hardens to a beautiful sheen (in other words, the chocolate chips you use for baking don't necessarily lend themselves to having this cookie set up and look beautiful).

The cornflakes, dried fruits, salt and chopped nuts are mixed together in a large bowl. The melted chocolate is poured over the mixture and gently folded until everything is coated in chocolate. 

For more bite-sized Hazelnut English Chocolate Crisps use either a tablespoon or an small ice cream scoop and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. For larger crisps use two tablespoons and mound them onto the baking sheet.

Allow the crisps to come to room temperature and completely cool until you can easily remove them from the parchment paper before serving.

Waiting for them to harden may be the hardest part of this recipe.

Just like the size you make these crisps does not matter, the dried fruits you use does not matter as well (although I don't think dried apricots would be a good choice). Whether you choose to use a combination of golden raisins, cranberries, dried blueberries, and currants or simply choose one of them (hint: go with cranberries as a first option), these crisps are bound to be delicious. They are crunchy, salty, chocolately, nutty, and a little bit sweet. In other words, they are a cookie having the ability to satisfy almost every possible cookie fantasy. Honestly, as active as imagination operating in my head on  a regular basis, I wasn't even close to predicting how good, um, I mean great, these would be. Nor did I think they would be slightly addictive. And depending on your opinion of a cookie with the ability to become an obsession, this could be the only their only flaw.

The start of the new school year is just around the corner. For those of you with children, these Hazelnut English Chocolate Crisps might turn you into the parent of their fantasies (that is, if you are not that already). But don't let me mislead you into thinking these cookies are for children only. Make them for your partner and well, who knows what fantasies you will fill for them. Or better yet, what fantasy they will turn into a reality for you.

Recipe

Hazelnut English Chocolate Crisps (inspiration from Ina Garten's English Chocolate Crisps from the Make it Ahead Cookbook and Nicolas Berger's Milk Chocolate, Nut and Raisin Clusters shared in Food and Wine, February 2014)

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups corn flakes (recommend Kellogg's)

1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

1/2 cup mixed dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, blueberries) or golden raisins or dried cranberries

1/4 cup currants (optional, but they add good flavor)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

7 3/4 ounces milk chocolate

5 3/4 ounces dark chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Place hazelnuts on a small pan and place in oven for 7-8 minutes. Allow to cool. Rub hazelnuts in a kitchen towel to remove skins. Coarsely chop.

2. In a large bowl combine cornflakes, chopped hazelnuts, pistachios, dried fruit, currants, and kosher salt. Set aside.

3. Melt chocolate in either the microwave or over a double boiler. Note: If using microwave method, combine 3/4 of the chocolate and microwave at medium-high power in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until melted (approximately 2-3 minutes). Stir in remaining chocolate until smooth.

4. Pour melted chocolate over the hazelnut/cornflake mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold until chocolate evenly coats cornflakes, dried fruit and nuts.

5. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, scoop heaping tablespoons of the mixture.

6. Allow the crisps to cool completely. Peel firmed up crisps from the parchment paper and serve. Store crisps in a sealed container at room temperature.
Notes: (1) If you want them to be nut free, increase the amount of cornflakes to 3 cups. (2) You can replaced the combination of dried fruits, with a single dried fruit option. Dried cranberries and/or golden raisins would be two great options. 

Vanilla Sponge Cake w/ Lemon Curd and Raspberries, Buttercream Frosting & Sprinkles

"Fairy tales had been her first experience of the magical universe, and more than once she had wondered why people ended up distancing themselves from that world, knowing the immense joy that childhood had brought to their lives." (Paulo Coelho) Almost immediately upon seeing a cake completely covered in sprinkles, it feels as if you have been transported back to those wide-eyed wonder days of your childhood. In that moment, all of the feelings associated with the happiest days of your youth come flooding back. It's not like you have gone through life without ever seeing a decorated cake before. Yet for some reason this cake is unlike any other. And this is all before you take your first bite. Not surprisingly, you don't even care what the flavor of the cake or the filling might be. Because never could you have anticipated a cake with sprinkles would have such magical, time-traveling qualities. 

Ever since watching the first season of the Great British Bake Off, I have wanted to make a sponge cake. Considering it is quite possibly one of the most versatile cakes ever created, I wondered how it was that this cake never worked its way into my baking life. The only possible explanation is my obsession with chocolate blinded me to the deliciousness of a buttery sponge cake. The blinders are now off.

Walk in any bakery and you will see the cupcakes and cakes decorated in sprinkles are often some of the most expensive. Is it because of the cost of the sprinkles? Probably not. Is it the time and labor that goes into the making a sprinkle cake? Maybe, but probably not. Could it be that a cake with sprinkles has the added psychological affect of making one feel heart racing joy? Well if you believe the ability to give someone a moment of happiness is one of the most priceless gifts you can give, well that just may be the most plausible reason. You might not remember the presents you received growing up, but you are not likely to ever forget your happiest memorable moments.

There is no shortage of lists identifying the essential dishes everyone should be able to cook, master, and commit to memory. Making some of these lists is the classic Victoria Sponge Cake. Named in honor of Queen Victoria this is a cake where the weight of the eggs (in their shells) determine the amounts of caster sugar, all-purpose flour, and unsalted butter. Some vanilla and baking powder round out the ingredients in this relatively simple to make cake. If there was ever a reason to justify the purchase of a good scale, this sponge cake would be one of them.

There is enough batter in this recipe to fill two 6 inch cake rounds (buttered, floured and lined with parchment paper). And using a scale helps to ensure there are equal amounts of batter in each pan.

The cakes are baked in a 356 degree (F) oven. No that isn't a typo. It is 356 degrees (F). The conversion from Celcius to Fahrenheit can make baking a little challenging for those of us without digital ovens. Baking time ranges from 25 to 30 minutes or until the cakes are lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. The cakes remain in the pans for five minutes before they are unmolded and transferred to a rack to cool completely.

Traditionally sponge cakes are filled with jam. But I couldn't let all of the lemons I had in the refrigerator go to waste, so I made some lemon curd. Homemade lemon curd and fresh raspberries were used to fill this cake, however, the filling possibilities are almost endless. In its' simplest presentation, this sponge cake can be filled with fresh fruit and lightly sweetened whipped cream. 

You will make the frosting of the cake easier on yourself if you pipe a circle of icing on the bottom layer of the cake before you spread on your filling. Trust me on this.

A classic sponge cake just begs to be frosted with a homemade buttercream icing. For a whiter icing, use a clear imitation vanilla extract versus the pure madagascar bourbon vanilla extract used in for the cake. However, since this cake was being completely covered in sprinkles I used the real versus the imitation vanilla.

The recipe for the icing yields enough for a thin layer of frosting on the sides of the cake and a slightly more generous layer for the top of the cake. More than enough for the sprinkles to adhere to the frosting. However, next time I will consider doubling the frosting recipe (or at least make a single and half batch) just because I happen to like alot of icing on a cake. 

No matter how careful I tried to be, I still ended up with a few sprinkles on the floor. I thought by putting pieces of aluminum foil under the cake platter the mess I was making in the kitchen would be kept to a minimum. Without the foil, I might have had more sprinkles on the floor than on the cake. The Cake Blog also has a good tutorial on their approach to decorating a cake with sprinkles. Theirs doesn't look as messy.

You don't need an occasion to make this cake. But it makes for a perfect birthday cake. Especially for those double digit birthdays leaving you wonder where has the time gone and wishing it would just slow down.

It might be hard to resist having only a single piece of this light, airy, buttery, classic cake even if its' one iced with homemade buttercream frosting and covered in colorful sprinkles. There is something rather magical about this Vanilla Sponge Cake w/ Lemon Curd and Raspberries, Buttercream Frosting & Sprinkles. You can't help but believe that any wish made on it will come true. Unless of course you were someone who never believed in fairy tales.

Recipe
Vanilla Sponge Cake w/ Lemon Curd and Raspberries, Buttercream Frosting & Sprinkles (cake recipe inspired by The Little Library Cafe's Victoria Sponge Cake; vanilla icing recipe inspired by Molly Yeh's vanilla icing recipe)

Serves 8-10

Ingredients
Vanilla Sponge Cake
3 large eggs, room temperature (weighed in shells)
Unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, and caster sugar (or superfine sugar) each in amounts equal to the weight of the eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Vanilla Icing
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups confectionary sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or use clear imitation vanilla for a whiter frosting)
pinch of sea salt

Store bought or Homemade lemon curd 
Half pint of fresh raspberries
8 - 9 ounces of Sprinkles

Directions
Vanilla Sponge Cake
1. Preheat oven to 356 degrees (F). Butter and flour two 6 inch cake pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Weigh eggs in their shells. Use this weight amount and measure out the unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, and caster (or superfine) sugar. Note: All four ingredients will have the same weight measures.
3. Sift all purpose flour and baking powder, three times. Set aside.
4. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and caster sugar until pale yellow and creamy (approximately 4 minutes).
5. Add eggs in one at a time, beating until fully incorporated.
6. Add vanilla and mix in.
7. Add flour mixture and mix gently using a spatula until flour is fully incorporated.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared baking pans.
9. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until top is lightly golden and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
10. Remove baked cakes from oven. Allow to sit in pan for 5 minutes. Remove and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow cakes to cool completely before assembling.

Vanilla Icing
1. In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix all frosting ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

Cake Assembly
1. Place on the cake layers (top side down) on a platter or cake stand.
2. Using a pastry bag, pipe a ring of icing around top edge of one of the cake layers. Spoon in and/or pipe on the lemon curd inside the icing circle. Layer raspberries.
3. Top with the second layer (top side up).
4. Spread and smooth icing on sides and top of cake. 
5. Pour sprinkles on top of cake, spread carefully with your hand. Gently press sprinkles into sides of cake. Before adding sprinkles to the cake, place the cake stand on top of sheets of aluminum foil to catch sprinkles. 

Notes: Cake can be filled with your favorite filling or icing only. If using icing only, double the icing recipe ingredients. Keep iced cake in the refrigerator, remove 30 minutes before serving. 

 Lighthouses in Cape Elizabeth, Maine and Aquinnah, Massachusetts (Martha's Vineyard)