Lemon Cake Bites

"Life is filled with so many exciting twists and turns. Hop
off the straight and narrow whenever you can and take the
winding paths. Experience the exhilaration of the view from
the edge. Because the moments spent there, that take your
breath away, are what make you feel truly alive."
 Stacey Charter 

Lemon Cake Bites

recipe adapted from www.cuisineathome.com June 2005

Love lemon, coconut and need an easy dessert recipe? Then this may be just one you can use. I have a short version and long version.

Short version-makes 4

Ingredients:

• prepackaged sponge cakes
• 1 jar of lemon curd (near the jellies in grocery store)
• raspberries
• toasted coconut
• 1 pint whip cream
• lemon zest

Directions:

• toast coconut
• 1 cup heavy cream whipped to soft peaks
• beat in 1/2 cup lemon curd 
• on the sponge cake place whip cream mixture  
• grate lemon zest over cream mixture 
• place one raspberry in center of cream mixture
• sprinkle with toasted coconut

Long version which is a homemade cake

Cook's note: The following almond pound cake recipe below was posted in July. I found the consistency is more like a sponge cake than a pound cake. The batter worked well for lemon cake bites recipe.
This photo shows the cake batter as it was just put into the oven.

• make the cake mixture as directed below
• place  one large sheet of parchment paper over a jelly roll pan
• grease with Pam the parchment paper
• pour batter mixture over parchment paper
• bake @ 350 check at 20-30 minutes or bake till center is cooked
• remove from oven and cool 5 minutes
• invert the whole cake onto another cookie sheet and remove parchment paper
• cool 30 minutes
• with a small juice glass cut out cake circles unless you happen to have a round biscuit cookie cutter
• complete the recipe following the short version directions for whip cream mixture, adding coconut and raspberry

Almond Pound Cake with Limoncello

Cook's notes: The original recipe called for a whole can of almond paste which was way too much in flavor for the ingredients listed below.  Almond paste can be pricey so by using 1/2 can and putting rest in ziploc bag and store in the refrigerator there is enough to use for another time. It is a good addition to almond bread. 

Adding  flour to almond paste in Cuisinart helps keep the almond paste from sticking to blades.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/3 cup olive oil (extra light)
• 5 TB. butter at room temperature
• 1/2 can almond paste+ 1 TB. flour
• 4TB. lemon zest
• 4 large eggs 
• 1/3 cup limoncello or 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325and grease a 9 inch springform pan
• In a Cuisinart crumble 1/2 can almond paste and 1 TB. flour
• In a mixing bowl beat sugar, oil, and butter till fluffy-then add in eggs one at a time
• Beat in zest and crumbled almond paste
• In a small bowl add flour, salt, and baking powder
• Stir flour mixture into egg mixture to blend
• Check cake at 40 minutes to see if toothpick comes out of center clean
• Place cake on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes
• Poke multiple holes in cake using  long wooden skewer
• In small bowl whisk together limoncello or lemon juice and powdered sugar
• Carefully spoon lemon mixture over cake to soak into holes-there will be extra juice left 
• Cool completely