Well, it was so warm yesterday morning that I put my clown suit (those ugly thick padded overalls the men use when digging slowly on the side of the road) and my Carhart jacket into the washing machine. Both were pretty pongy. Then of course the temperatures plummeted and I was caught inside until my outdoor clothing was dry. I popped them in the dryer, which is like sitting on a thorn, I hate to use the dryer when I usually dry everything on the racks in the loft above the fire. And went to work in the kitchen.
I made the cake with the lemon curd and it was very good. I left it in the oven just a trifle too long which is typical but you get the picture. It is tangy without being too rich and at the time of writing is almost gone.
I called it Lemon Butter Cake.
Whip
- 4oz butter
- 1 cup sugar ( my jar of sugar has a vanilla pod in with it and the scent when you open that jar is awesome. John gave me a Pound of vanilla pods for Christmas.)
Then blend
- 2 large eggs
Then fold, alternating
- 2 cups of flour mixed with 2 tsp baking powder
With
- 2/3 cup of lemon curd mixed with 1/4 cup of milk or cream and a dash of vanilla
A very standard cake recipe but it lets the lemon curd shine. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. After baking, while the cake is HOT squeeze the juice of a lemon on top and sprinkle with sugar. 
After I took this shot I changed my mind and chopping the mint very finely, added it TO the greek yoghurt. It was a perfect accent to the lemon in the cake. So when I make a Lemon Curd Cheesecake later this week I shall incorporate a teensy bit of mint as well. I will report back. As you can see I would rather take pictures of sheep than cakes but I was TRAPPED inside!
Once my clothes were dry I escaped back out to the barn to commiserate with Hairy MacLairy. He has a very low tenor in his voice and is sounding quite mournful and solitary from the back pen. Though he has Queenie ( the little midget Hereford heifer, well she is not technically a midget but next to the big tall Ayrshires she looks so ridiculously tiny) anyway she is back there to talk to, but he is ignoring her and bleating across the barn.
And then I heard his wifey calling back and trying to peek at him through the cracks in her pen. You can just see Mama’s wonky ears, there in between those two boards, as she tries to get a glimpse of him through the bars. Oh how miserable. Heart-rending. Bring on the violins. Poor darlings.
Dreadful. I have to add that they both have access to the Outside (separate outsides) but prefer to call plaintively across the barn to each other. By tomorrow the weeping and gnashing of teeth will be all over and hopefully Mama will turn her tiny little mind to the very important task of gestating! And by the way Mama, I need a couple more ewe lambs for Mia’s flock. Then we will shop for a mail order bridegroom for them. So get busy with that dearie. Hairy MaClairy needs a buddy.
Work commenced on the big new pen in the center of the barn yesterday. We only use recycled barn timbers for the refurbishment of our own old barn. And everything has to be shored up right to the upper levels first. For some reason this affects the speed of the work, reducing it to a crawl. John’s mission is to try and help people keep their barns and put them to work again, so he is loathe to take an old building apart. But the big beams have been found and John has a few weeks off work while it is cold, so fingers crossed. Then Hairy will be able to come out of the Black Hole of Calcutta and loaf about somewhere nice.
The temperature right now is 30F, and the High will be another 3 degrees. So I guess we will not have an exciting day weather wise. But certainly an acceptable one temperature wise. And I see that the sky is getting lighter. Too many clouds for a sunrise again. (sigh)
Good morning.
c
PS -this lemon curd was sweetened with honey and a little sugar. I prefer it tart. Sometimes I just use honey. I have no intention of preserving it, just eating it as fast as I can. So it lives in the fridge.
My Dad wrote in and said that he makes his lemon curd in the microwave. Cooking and stirring in one minute steps. The no fuss, no mess alternative.
Oh and Daisy discovered lemons when I used to throw the lemon peels into the field with the chook scraps. She would barrel over scattering hens in all directions to beat them to the lemons! That cow!
The Kitchen's Garden 
113 responses to “Lemon Butter Cake”
Ah, Celi, my husband Phil would so approve of your anti-dryer policy. It sounds heaven to be able to dry clothes on a rack above a real fire.
Just adore that Hairy McLairy. Whadda guy.
there is a down side though, the clothes smell like they have been dried on a rack above the fire that i cook on.. hmm.. c
Your lemon curd cake looked divine. I have copied the recipe and will try to re-create it in a gluten-free form. Wish me luck!
Is it lambing season?
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
No not lambing season yet. mama is still in the thinking stage.. c
I now feel hungry. Lemon butter cake made with home made lemon curd -yummy. BTW I love the very colourful plate.
Okay, now you’ve done it…I must have some of this lemon butter cake! Am going back to get the recipe in the last post for the curd. I just love the personality that shows through in the images, as well as the descriptions, of all of your animals.
Thank you betsy.. c
Hi C.,
My son is going to fall for you if you keep posting these recipes using lemons. 🙂
I am so excited about this (and the cheesecake to come!) because it is another use for fruit curd. I make tangerine curd every January because I cannot eat every tangerine that comes across my path. I love lemon curd, too, but don’t make it as often because I don’t have to — lemons are wonderfully versatile and our tree doesn’t bear so many that we can’t use them. I came over hear from Granny’s Parlour to commend you on growing your own food and eating seasonally — I can’t do the latter, but I am deep into the former. Sometimes it feels lonely when everyone else is cooking with tomatoes and raspberries and basil…
Fruit curd, you know i never thought of making it with other citrus. When i am next in california where my citrus growers are I am going to have a ball with that idea! We do so try to eat seasonally, it is a developing skill! Oh BASIL! (sigh) I got some basil pesto out of the freezer last night and Oh the joy of that taste.. c
Not only tangerines, but limes, grapefruit, blood oranges and berries when they come in the spring and summer: strawberry, blackberry, raspberry!
Wow, is it the same basic process?, starting with the juice? I must do some research.. c
To make curd with berries, you puree them and strain the seeds out. For citrus curd, you use juice. Otherwise, do what you do with lemons, add a bit of lemon juice to your other curds and taste to adjust the amount of sugar (or honey).
Mmm, I love lemon grizzle cake so this looks right up my street! And why does the weather always know to change as soon you put clothes in the washing machine?! 🙂
ah well! c
Your rustic lemony cake is beautiful. I like the fact that it is a little tart. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Just our of curiosity do the farm animals- Daisy pucker their lips and make a strange face when you feed them lemons? Take care, BAM
When you next make your lemon curd try adding 3tbsp of Limoncello for the last minute of cooking (I think you share my addiction for this tipple) the original recipe used advokaat.
Poor Hairy he does look so lovesick!
STUNNING! I am in! c
lemon is my favorite…lemon cookies, icebox pie, cake, candies…just love the freshness of lemons
vanilla pods for Christmas, now that is a great present! Lemony anything is always delicious, the tartier the better.Nothing more disappointing then trying some lemon curd and finding out it’s more sugar than lemon.
I agree completely- not having a sweet tooth the bonus of lemon curd in the lack of excessive sugariness.. c
Your cake looks simple to make but delicious to eat!
It my only cake recipe and i just dress it up or down. I guess it is my little black dress cake recipe.. c
We need a tumble drier here as it can rain for weeks on end – but I really only like to use it for my towels! Lovely cake Celi 🙂
We have far more of our share of wet days here, but I have to be REALLY desperate to use the drier. I drape the washing over bannisters, put hangers of stuff on the shower rail and small things on one of those multi-peg thingies for socks. It all dries in 24 hours and I shut my eyes to the Chinese laundry look of the house.
I think clothes last longer too, they shrink and get worn out by a drier! c
I sometimes have the clothes on a clothes horse in our bedroom for days and we do a load as each one dries – thankfully I have enough winter clothes 🙂
I guess the tanginess makes the richness settle down in any baked item, I actually love adding a twist of lemon in a lot of dishes that it may be suitable.
Morning Cecilia, delicious cake! I have been awarded a Versatile Blogger Award and I am (when I get a moment) going to add you my list of nominees to pass it on to. I have only been following your blog for a short while but I love it. I see you have already accepted this award from someone else before but I hope you will be happy to get another. Have a great day. Natalie
Thank you natalie.. c