Lemon & Elder Flower Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream Icing - The Royal Wedding Cake for Harry & Meghan

1)  6 large eggs
2)  100 g natural yogurt
3)  50 ml milk
4)  450 g butter, softened
5)  450 g regular or berry sugar
6)  450 g self-rising cake flour - see note below
7)  zest of 1 large lemon & juice
8)  5 T Elder Flower liqueur (St Germain's)
9)  250 g butter, softened
10)  300 g full fat cream cheese
11)  700 g icing sugar
12) 2 1/2 t vanilla

Oven 320.
Butter 3 - 8 or 9 inch cake pans, line bottom with parchment and coat sides with flour.
Whisk  1)  to  3)
Beat  4)  &  5)  with electric mixer till light & fluffy.
Add  6)  egg mix and lemon zest.
Divide between cake tins.
Bake 30 mins or just till toothpick clean.
Mix lemon juice with  8)
When cakes are done, poke surface with chopstick, pour lemon mix over.
Cool in tins.
For icing beat  9)  till smooth, add half  11)
Add rest of  11)  10)  &  12) beat till smooth.
Stack layers and ice cake.
Decorate with fresh flowers.

For the flour - I made my own self-rising cake flour at home!
For each 1 c flour needed, measure 1 c into bowl, remove 2 T and replace with 2 T cornstarch.
Add 1/4 t salt and 1 1/4 t baking powder.  Sift together then sift again 6 more times! 
I know it sounds like a lot but your cake will be dreamy light with a very delicate crumb. 
Melt in your mouth smooth!

💜  There were so many versions of this recipe online, this one is very similar to the original with a few of my own changes.  I bit the bullet and used a scale to weigh out all the ingredients in grams.  For me it was easier than trying to convert to cups.

💜  Option!

I baked the cake again and made 3 - 8 inch square layers like the one below.

I did not stack the layers but left them as single cakes!  You can freeze the cake (wrapped well in Saran then foil).  The icing can also be frozen in plastic containers, just take out of freezer and thaw in fridge overnight.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

1)   2 c sugar
2)  2 c flour
3)  2 t baking soda
4)  1 t salt
5)  3 t cinnamon
6)  1 1/2 c veg oil
7)  4 eggs
8)  3 c grated carrots
9)  1 c ch walnuts
10)  1 t vanilla
11)  1/2 c melted butter
12)  1 - 8 oz pkg cream cheese, soft
13)  1 t vanilla
14)  1 - 1lb box icing sugar

Sift   1)   to   5)
Add   6)
Add   7)   one at a time.
Add   8)   to  10)
Spoon into greased & floured 9x13 pan.
Bake 350 1/2 hour.
Cool in pan.
Mix  11)  to  13)
Gradually add  14)  till smooth.

The moistest & most flavorful carrot cake!

Butter & Egg Bread

1)  4 1/2 t active dry yeast
2)  1/2 c lukewarm water, see HINT
3)  1 1/2 c lukewarm whole milk (110 to 115)
4)  1/4 c sugar
5)  1 T salt
6)  3 large eggs, room temp
7)  1/4 c butter, soft
8)  7 - 7 1/2 c all purpose flour
9)  1 egg yolk
10)  2 T water
11)  sesame seeds

Dissolve 1)  in   2)
In large bowl mix with hand mixer yeast add 3)  to  3 c  of   8)
Stir in remaining flour about 4 c by hand to form a soft dough.
Use remaining 1/2 c flour for kneading.
Knead 6-8 min.  Place in buttered bowl, cover and rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours till doubled.
Punch down.
Divide into 2 parts for 2 loaves.  Or divide into 6 parts for 2 braids.
Shape, cover, rise 50 min.
Whisk  9)  &  10)
Brush loaves, sprinkle with  11)
Bake 375 for 25-30 minutes.

HINT:  to make lukewarm water mix 1 1/2 c cold water with 1/2 c boiling water.

Sweet Cornbread Cake

1)  1 cup cornmeal or cornflour

2)  3 c flour

3)  1 1/3 c white sugar

4)  2 T baking powder

5)  1 t salt

6)  2/3 c veg oil

7)  1/3 c melted butter

8)  2 T honey

9)  4 eggs, beaten

10)  2 1/2 c whole milk

Oven 350.  Butter 9 x 13 baking dish.

Whisk together  1)  to  5)

Whisk together 6)  to 10)

Add wet to dry, stir just till moistened.

Pour into baking dish bake 45 min till browned and showing cracks.

 

Porky Pie

 

1)  1 recipe of Crisco pastry, below

2)  6 slices bacon, chopped

3)  1 med onion, finely chopped

4)  1 large shallot, finely chopped

5)  2 pkg, 1 1/4 lb Johnston's ground pork mild Italian seasoned with basil and fennel

6)  1 1/4 c chicken broth

7)  2 T cornstarch

8)  salt & pepper

9)  1 egg

Prep  1)  chill dough.

Cook  2)  till crispy, set aside.

Pour off almost all bacon fat and saute  3)  &  4)

Add  5)  saute till cooked thru.

Heat  6)  add 7)  cook till thickened.

Add to meat mix along with bacon.  Cook till sauce reduced.

Taste mix, season with  8) 

Sit till room temp.  Add  9)

Oven 425.  Fill pastry.  Brush with egg wash (optional)

Bake 50 min to 1 hour or so till golden.

Crisco Pastry

For 2 - 9" single crust or 1 double crust pie

1)  2 c flour
2)  3/4 t salt
3)  1 c Crisco shortening
4)  1 egg
5)  2 T cold water
6)  1 T white vinegar

For 2 double pie crusts

1)  4 c flour
2)  1 1/2 t salt
3)  2 c Crisco shortening
4)  2 eggs
5)  4 T cold water
6)  2 T white vinegar

For 2 double crust pies and 1 pie shell

1)  5 c flour
2)  1 1/2 t salt
3)  2 1/3 c Crisco shortening
4)  1 egg
5)  1/2 c cold water
6)  1 T white vinegar

Mix  1)  &  2)  in large bowl.
Cut in  3)  till texture of coarse crumbs.
Whisk  4)  to  6)  and add to flour mix with fork till moist.
Shape into a ball, divide dough into even-sized pieces.
Shape into 4" circles, wrap and refrigerate 20 min.
Roll each circle out to 1 " larger than pie plate size.
Roll crust onto rolling pin and place in pie plate.

Butter & Egg Dumplings

1)  1 pound (less 1/4 cup) butter, softened

2)  8 eggs

3)  3 1/2 cups flour

4)  1 t salt

Cream  1)  till light and fluffy.

Add  2)  one at a time, beating after each addition.

Add  3)  and  4)

Chill minimum 1/2 hour.

Boil a large pot of water.

Roll small bits of dough into 1 inch balls.

Coat hands in veg oil to keep from sticking.

Boil about 6 min, remove from water to drain on paper towels.

Cut several in 1/2 to check for doneness.  Middle should not be runny.

Freeze on cookie sheet for 45 min.  Pack into Tupperware.

Scotch Broth

 

Rice Tartan from Wales

1)  1 large onion, chopped

2)  1/2 stalk celery, chopped

3)  2 leeks, sliced

4)  1 large carrot, sliced

5)  1/2 c pearl barley

6)  1 pkg ground pork seasoned with basil and fennel

7)  2T vegeta

8)  1T veggie boullion

9)  2 t salt & 1/4 t pepper

10)  1 T seasoning salt

11)  12 stems fresh parsley, stalks removed and chopped

Saute 1)  &  2)  in a little oil.

Add  3)  &  4)

Add enough filtered water to cover.

I usually add water up to the bottom of the screws that hold the handles on the pot.

Add  5)  &  6)  and seasonings.

Bring to quick boil and simmer till barley is tender about 1 hour.

Add more water as it disappears.