Simply J Life

I adapted this recipe from this Lime Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe. The 10 cup Fleur-de-Lis cake bundt pan makes for a lovely presentation but the 12 cup bundt will hold all the batter. I used 3 sticks of butter instead of 2 1/4 sticks. I also doubled the amount of sugar and lemon juice for the glaze because I am a little heavy handed with my brush.

Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:

For the Pound Cake:
3 1/4 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 sticks of unsalted butter
8 oz. cream cheese
3 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. very finely grated lemon zest

For the Glaze:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Garnish:
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Instructions:
Have all ingredients at room temperature. Position oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees F (160 C). Grease and flour a 9 or 10-inch bundt pan or Fleur-de-Lis* cake pan.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt, set aside.

With an electric mixer, fitted with a flat beater, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 30-40 seconds. Add 3 cups of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stop mixer and scrape bowl occasionally. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and 3 tbsp. lemon juice (or regular fresh lemon juice). Reduce speed to low. Fold in flour, baking soda, and salt mixture in 3 additions, blending each addition just until smooth, stop mixer and scrape bowl occasionally. Fold in lemon zest.

Spoon batter into prepared pan, making sides higher than in center. Bake until cake is golden, and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool upright in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto cooling rack with waxed or parchment paper placed underneath rack, and glaze.

Makes 12-16 servings.

Lemon Glaze:

In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice and 1 1/2 cups sugar until blended. Set rack over a sheet of waxed paper, Generously brush cooled cake with glaze. After glaze has set; approximately 10 minutes, lightly sprinkle cake with confectioners’ sugar.

Notes
Nordic Ware’s Fleur-de-Lis cake pan can be purchased at Nordic Ware’s website at: http://www.nordicware.com.

An old favorite revisited.

Cookies waiting to be dipped in chocolate.

Half Hearted Valentine Cookies

Here is my ritual when I go to Chicago. I fly in, pickup my rental car, and head to White Castle Hamburgers! It does not matter if it is morning, noon, or night, I gotta have ‘em.

Update: The above photo has been added to the White Castle Hamburger website photo banner. I am very honored.

Just a little dessert after dinner at Boot and Shoe Service in Oakland.

At the suggestion of a good friend, I went to Flame Gourmet Burgers on College Avenue near Ashby Avenue in Berkeley for a late lunch. I had the bacon cheeseburger, steak fries, and raspberry lemonade. My burger prepared medium well with cheddar cheese and smoked applewood bacon on a toasted sesame seed bun. I was very satisfied with my meal and it was all for under $15 with tip. I will definitely be visiting Flame again soon.

I had brunch at Farmer Brown Restaurant in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago. As you can see, it was very yummy. I look forward to going back again soon.

It has been awhile since I have written anything here. Work has been busy. Photography has been busy. Music has been busy. Fall is here and soon it will be time to start holiday baking!!!! Where did this year go? Anyway, hope you are doing well. I will soon be trying the peach cobbler recipe that pastry chef David Benton gave me soon. Stay tuned.

Oh yeah, I got new eyeglasses. I was way overdue. The frames are made by ProDesign Denmark. I really like their frames.

Baking is one of my passions. I can make some desserts really well but my peach cobbler has never quite been to my liking. My dad made a much better cobbler. I think I first tried to make a peach cobbler when I was about 13 years old and try again every few years but have not mastered it yet.

I contacted my friend, pastry chef David Benton, to teach me how to make a really good peach cobbler. It turned out amazing and it was much less difficult than I expected. Everyone has a take on how to make peach cobbler but David made it look simple. I look forward to making a peach cobbler on my own very soon. I will definitely take photos when I do.

Please check out David’s baking at www.sugarsweetsf.com. Your taste buds will thank you!