Berry Coffee Cake

I very rarely make this, I wonder why I don't make it more often after I have a bite. Probably because its basically cake. I've made this with all sorts of berries. You're welcome to use whatever kind you like. In this photo, blackberries are pictured. I had some left over in the freezer from last season and decided it was time to use them up. I also scaled it back so I wouldn't be eating it for the next week!

For the cake:
1/2 cup of butter softened
1 3/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups of milk
3 cups of blackberries

In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternating with milk. Fold in berries. Pour into greased 13x9 pan. Sprinkle a 1/4 cup of sugar on top. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Another way to mix the berries in, is just sprinkle them on top of the cake after you've poured it into the pan. They will sink down into the mixture as it cooks. Remember to thaw your berries before adding them into the recipe, as it will make for mushy cake.

Lemon Cake

Hello sun shines! I know it's been awhile since my last post, it was a much needed break from cooking non stop. I hope you all had a fabulous holiday season with your loved ones! Lemon cake is my favorite all time cake, since we don't buy boxed goodies, which means if I want something sweet I have to make it, I found a great lemon cake recipe. Hope you all enjoy!

Here's what you'll need:
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 3/4 cups white sugar
6 egg yolks
1 1/8 cups milk

Line two 9 inch round pans with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Measure sifted flour, baking powder, and salt; sift together three times. Cream butter or margarine and lemon rind together. Gradually add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add sifted ingredients alternately with milk to the creamed mixture, a small amount at a time; beat after each addition until smooth.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

After cakes are completely cool, I make a buttercream frosting. It goes like this:

3 cups of powdered sugar
4 tablespoons of milk
1 stick of butter at room temp
2 tsp (or to taste) of lemon extract

Mix all ingredients. If you need to to it out, add a tsp at a time of milk, if it needs thickened, use a little more sugar!