Mary Ann Cake - Spring is Here!!!

I will simply ignore the fact that I've broken a couple of promises to you...yeah, I know I said I'd resume blogging, but never did. Well, I think I'm back and I've missed you terribly.

Yesterday, I discovered a cake pan that I hadn't used. As a cake pan collector, I have no idea when I purchased it, but I immediately knew I needed to use it. The recipe included was a chocolate concoction, so I had to do a quick search to find something non-chocolate. Thanks to Williams-Sonoma, I stumbled upon this recipe with the most beautimous photo of a Mary Ann cake.

If you're wondering what the heck a Mary Ann cake is, well I have no idea who she is, but the pan is designed to create a cake with a convex top. After the cake is baked and turned out, you have a cake with a hollowed out top which may then be filled with fruit, cream, ice cream, or whatever your little heart desires. So off to work I went at about 11 o'clock last night. Baking it at night gave me time to think about my choice of filling and fruit. So it simply sat naked until this evening. Here are a couple of photos of the cake as it's cooling and waiting to be dressed.

I really couldn't decide what to do with this cake, so I simply went about my day. I joined my my girl-bestie, Carol, for brunch and a Braves game and it was during our outing that she mentioned blackberries. Okay, that determined the fruit selection, but what will I do for the filling? I knew what I didn't want, that's always the easy part, but had no idea what i did want. As I walked into Costco for the blackberries, I had an idea--I'd make a creamy, lemony concoction for the filling. So I pulled everything out of the fridge. I used, mascarpone, lemon curd, sour cream, heavy cream and a wee bit of vanilla sugar. I didn't measure anything, but next time I'll use more of everything to fill it closer to the edge. The mixture kinda sorta tastes like a very lemony cheesecake and it compliments the blackberries extremely well. Isn't it lovely??

Honestly, I have no desire to eat this cake--the act of making it/using my pan was the focus. Tomorrow, I'll take it for a drive to, JD, my most favoritest brother-in-law in the whole ENTIRE world.

Sheila Denise

Lemon-Glazed Butter Cake

I was introduced to this recipe by a member of an online community. When I read the ingredients, I immediately knew I'd love this cake. Being a lover of lemons and knowing that lemon zest was in the batter and that it was drenched with a lemony glaze, how could I go wrong. So instead of happy hour or dinner on a Friday night, my focus was on getting home to make this cake.

The original recipe is in the April 2009 Gourmet Magazine and this is how they described the cake: The clean, bright flavor of this simple cake makes dinner guests perk up and exclaim, “I haven’t had this for years!” And then they devour what’s on their plates and ask for seconds.

I agree, this cake is delicious. It's lemony, light, not too sweet, perfect with super-sweet strawberries to compliment the tangyness--an oh so appropriate welcome to Spring. Best of all it's one of the simplest cakes I've ever made. I went a little crazy with the powdered sugar...sue me.


Lemon-Glazed Butter Cake

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs at room temperature 30 minutes
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• Garnish:

  confectioners sugar for dusting

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour an 8- by 2-inch round cake pan.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir together milk, zest, and vanilla.
• Beat together butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until each addition is just incorporated.
• Pour batter into cake pan and smooth top, then rap gently on counter to release any air bubbles. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes.
• Whisk together confectioners sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
• Turn out cake onto a rack set over a baking sheet, then re-invert. Brush top and side of cake with all of glaze. Cool completely.

Cooks’ note: Cake can be glazed 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature.

Sheila Denise