SPRING IS HERE! ~ DAFFODIL CAKE

"If one daffodil is worth a thousand pleasures, then one is too few."

- William Wordsworth

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DAFFODIL CAKE

~ from Elmwood Inn (Ireland)

(www.elmwoodinn.com)

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Yellow batter:

3/4 cups sifted flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

6 egg yolks

2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. cold water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Sift cake flour and baking powder together six times. Beat egg yolks with lemon juice and water until thick, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar. Sift a fourth of the flour mixture at a time over the egg mixture; fold in.

White batter:

1/2 cup sifted cake flour

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

6 egg whites at room temperature

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

powdered sugar

Sift cake flour and powdered sugar together six times. Beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar. Sift a fourth of the flour mixture at a time over the egg mixture; fold in.

Alternately spoon yellow and white mixtures into an ungreased 9 or 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 170 C (350-degrees) for 30-35 minutes. Invert and cool. Dust the cake with powdered sugar and serve with lemon sauce.

LEMON SAUCE

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. corn starch

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. lemon zest

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

few grains salt (optional)

In a medium saucepan, mix together sugar and corn starch. Gradually add boiling water. Boil five minutes. Remove from heat and add fresh lemon juice, zest, butter, and salt.

Note: Cake looks lovely served with a bunch of daffodils inside of center.

Instead of Lemon Sauce, try a Lemon Glaze by blending 1 cup ofconfectioners' sugar, 1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel, 1 tsp. lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. milk and 1 drop yellow food color.

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UPSIDE DOWN DAFFODIL CAKE

~ simple cake from www.recipes4cakes.com

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LEMON SAUCE

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups boiling water

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 lemon (juice & grated rind)

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt together. Gradually add water stirring until thickened. Boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter, juice and rind. Set aside.

CAKE

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 beaten egg

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup milk

slices from 1 1/2 lemons

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg. Cream until light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Add alternately with milk & lemon peel.

Line bottom of prepared 8-inch cake pan with thin lemon slices. Pour lemon sauce over slices (just enough to cover, reserving some.) Pour batter over lemon slices and sauce. Bake at 375-degrees for 30-35 minutes. Remove and cool. Invert onto serving dish. Pour remaining sauce over and serve.