A NY TIMES LEMON POUND CAKE - MY WAY...

So I did something kind of crazy this past weekend... I started testing recipes for Thanksgiving. I know that day is still a while away, but it's my favorite holiday and I am SO looking forward to it - even more so this year than any other year. I already don't eat a ton of sweets, but I am in the process of cutting back on them even more (for reasons I will explain later). However, my routine will certainly be off during Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I want to make sure that what is served is EXTRA good! 

I've made the same pound cake recipe the last few years for Thanksgiving and this year I want to switch things up. I recently ran across this recipe in the NY Times and wanted to test it out. The recipe was a bit different than other recipes I'd seen... It uses cake flour instead of regular flour and powdered sugar instead of regular sugar. Beaten egg whites are also incorporated into the batter. It's also a little more labor intensive than other recipes, but I have to say that it was SO worth it. I loved it! While it's dense (as pound cakes should be), it's also moist and somewhat light at the same time. I substituted Greek yogurt for the sour cream used in the original recipe, which I think made it a little lighter and obviously more "healthy." I also added more lemon zest and juice, which intensified the lemon flavor. I think that using good-quality fresh ingredients makes a big difference as well. I haven't made a final decision on what recipe I'll use, but this one is certainly in the running... :)

Here is what you need and what to do:

1lb (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 lb powdered sugar
1 cup good-quality 2% regular Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Juice of one lemon
Zest of two lemons, finely grated
1 tablespoon lemon extract (if not using real lemon juice or zest)
3 cups cake flour (I used Swans Down)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 large organic eggs, separated while cold, then brought up to room temperature (see step 4 below)
Powdered sugar, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Use the wrappers from the butter to grease a 10 in bundt pan or angel food cake pan. You could also spray it well with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer and cream it until light and fluffy. Slowly - like over the course of about 3 minutes - add the powdered sugar to the butter. Beat well until the mixture is very smooth. Then add the yogurt, vanilla, and lemon flavorings.

3. Sift the flour and the baking soda over a large bowl. Add 1 cup of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well. Then mix in 4 of egg yolks followed by another cup of the flour. Then mix in the remaining egg yolks and the remaining flour. Mix until the ingredients are just incorporated to avoid over-mixing! Scrape down the sides of the bowl and do one final mix with a rubber spatula.

4. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold in the egg whites to the cake batter. I added them in 3 stages and took my time folding them in to make sure the mixture stayed light and fluffy. NOTE: I used my KitchenAid mixer to mix the batter, so I beat the egg whites in a separate bowl using a hand-held mixer. If you have a KitchenAid mixer, you could mix the egg whites before mixing your batter, set them aside, then wash out your KitchenAid bowl to mix the batter. This will leave you with one less bowl to wash!

5. Pour the batter evenly into the pan. Tap the pan on the coutertop a few times to remove any air pockets in the batter. Then bake (see Step 6). NOTE: If you are using an angel food cake pan (like I did), then don't tap too hard or too many times. If you do, then cake batter gets under the tube insert then leaks out in the oven. Don't ask me how I know that... :)

6. It took my cake about 1 hr and 15 minutes to bake. However, per the NY times recipe, it should take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1hr to bake. Start checking the cake at the 40-45 minute mark. If it is getting too brown, then reduce the temperate to 300, then continue to test it every 15 minutes or so. The cake will be done when a cake tester (I use wooden skewers) comes out clean and the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched.

I love it served warm with a side of ice cream! So good!

Enjoy!

Images by me

LATELY...

{The entryway of the 2015 Serenbe Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Designer Showhouse. I thought this space was really beautiful and well done... }

It's me! It's me! How are ya? I know it's been almost a month since I've checked in, so let me tell you whats been up - in four words. I've been having fun. I was super busy with work for a few weeks there, but other than that my priorities have been tending to friendships during unplanned last minute dinners, lunches and outings, planning and hosting a massive baby shower for a really good friend, working out, reading (I'm currently reading this), testing recipes, laying in bed - under the covers and all - at 2PM on Saturday afternoon watching documentaries and other things on TV that I thought I would NEVER watch (Empire is my JAM!), and not ignoring my body when it tells me it wants to go to bed at 9PM instead of 11PM. By the time all that was done (plus other things that aren't listed), blogging kinda came last on my to-do list. And I honestly have to say that my lack of additional computer time on weeknights and weekends has afforded me an insane amount of extra energy - and it feels quite nice. Do I still love blogging?? I've thought a lot about that and the answer is absolutely yes... I know it's yes because I really do feel like a part of me is absent when I'm not being creative in this way. BUT - I'll be honest in that these days I'm focusing more on how I manage and prioritize the little free time I have after work - which is something I haven't been consistently serious about doing in a really long time. I have a super long list (literally) of things I want to share with you here. And I will, but I'm going to take my time and slowly reintroduce and ease myself back into this space - and do things here only when it feels right to do so. I hope that's ok!! :) I just want to be honest about my feelings! In the meantime, here are a few fun moments I've had over the past few weeks. Thanks so much for hanging in there with me! 

{My love for clean eating has grown exponentially lately and this cookbook, "Clean Green Eats" by Candice Kumai has inspired me even more. The combination of ingredients and flavors in her recipes are so creative and SO good! I highly recommend it - especially if you need some new ideas for fresh, quick, and healthy meals that actually taste good! }

{A simple, yet precious card I gave a dear friend who is so excited to be expecting her first baby after a long while of trying... Prayers are always answered. }

{This might not look like much, but this simple pimento grilled cheese sandwich from Blue Eyed Daisy is one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I've ever had... }

{A beautiful home under construction in Serenbe that reminded me of what I pray for - a home with a front porch that I can sit on with my future husband as we watch our children play in the yard. I know prayers are always answered... }

All images by me