Lemon and Lavender Cake ~ Bolo de Limão e Lavanda

Photos by Priscillakittycat, Recipe by Food52

Brazil is playing well in the Copa America games.  Thursday’s match against Paraguay was a heart stopper.  It was a knotty match.  Just when a Brazilian would break away and head for the goal, the ref would blow his whistle.  The guy paused the game every few seconds.  It’s almost like he was intentionally halting our team’s momentum.

In a few minutes we will face Argentina.  No comment.

Unsalted butter, for the cake pan
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 tablespoon edible dried lavender
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mild-flavored olive oil
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Confectioners’ sugar, to dust
Sprigs of fresh lavender, to serve (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter an 8-inch diameter, 2 1/2-inch deep cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Put the granulated sugar and lavender into a food processor and whizz until the lavender has broken down. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a bowl. Stir in the lavender sugar. In a pitcher, mix the eggs with the yogurt and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gradually stir in the wet ingredients. Add the lemon zest and juice, but don’t over-mix. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cake is coming away from the inside of the pan and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Turn it out, peel off the paper, and set on a wire rack until cold. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving and decorate with sprigs of fresh lavender.

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O Brasil está jogando bem na Copa America.  Esse último jogo contra o Paraguai foi sofrido.  Achei que fosse ter uma parada cardiaca.  O Galvão falou certo, “Ooo time chato para jogar!”  Não foi fácil.  E o juíz não ajudou.  Apitava toda hora.  Não deixava o Brasil fazer uma jogada.

Na hora dos penalties eu não tive coragem para assistir.  As pernas ficaram bambas e o coração batia a cem por hora.  Tive de ir para a outra sala.  Depois, quando pai gritou que o time do Tite ganhou, veio a euphoria.

Daqui a pouco enfrentaremos a Argentina.  Sem comentarios.

Bolo de Lavanda a Limão

Manteiga sem sal, para untar a fôrma.
1 1/2 de açucar (eu diminui o açucar para um copo)
3/4 colher de sopa de lavanda seca comestível (eu usei quase 2 colheres)
1 1/2 copo de farinha de trigo
1/2 colher de bicarbonato
1/2 colher de chá pó royal (eu usei 1 colher enteira)
1/4 colher de chá sal
2 ovos grandes, levemente batidos
1 copo de iogurte
1/2 copo de azeite de oliva
Raspas (finamente raladas) de 1 limão amarelo e 1 colher de sopa de suco de limão

Aqueça o forno (350F).  Unte as fôrmas com manteiga e forre os fundos com papél pergaminho.  Coloque o açucar e a lavanda num processador e processe até a lavanda desmanchar.  Ponha a farinha com o pó royal, bicarbonato e sal numa tigela e peneire.  Adicione a lavanda e o açucar.  Misture os ovos, o iogurte e o azeite dentro de um jarro.  Faça um buraco no centro dos ingredientes secos e acrescente os ingredientes molhados pouco a pouco.  Adicione as raspas de limão mas não misture excessivamente. Despeje a massa nas fôrmas.  Asse por 45 a 50 minutos ou até o bolo começar a despregar das beiradas da fôrma ou até que um palito enfiado no meio saia limpo.  Tire das fôrmas e remova o papél.  Deixe o bolo esfriar.

Lemon Cupcakes ~ Cupcake de Limão

At a beach house.  I’m inside making lemon cupcakes.  Just about done piping the frosting on them and sprinkling them with yellow sugar sprinkles.  I hear the door open, salty air permeates, seagulls calling.  Footsteps on the hardwood floor.  I feel his warm body press against my back, the scent of coconut suntan oil.  He gently moves my hair to one side and touches his moist lips to my bare shoulder.  His bristly beard tickles my neck.  Goosebumps.  He reaches around my waist and takes a cupcake from the counter.  I let him lick off the frosting…Mmmmmm…

You like that short story, huh?  Me too.

Lemon Cupcakes

1/4 cup unsalted butter softened (56g)
1/4 cup canola oil (60ml)- I used vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
2 Tablespoons lemon zest (finely grated)
2 large eggs lightly beaten, room temperature preferred
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 185g may substitute cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk 118ml
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
8 oz cream cheese softened (brick-style, not spreadable) (226g)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract optional
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
4 cups powdered sugar (500g)

Lemon Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.

Place butter in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) and use an electric mixer (or stand mixer) to beat until creamy.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add oil, sugar, and lemon zest and beat again until creamy and thoroughly combined.  Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir well until completely combined.

In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a large measuring cup, briefly stir together buttermilk and lemon juice.

Using a spoon or spatula, gradually stir about a third of the flour mixture into wet ingredients until just-combined (don’t use an electric mixer here or you’ll be more likely to overmix the batter, resulting in dense/dry cupcakes). Add about half of the buttermilk mixture into the batter and stir until just combined. Repeat adding flour and buttermilk in this way until ingredients are completely combined, but don’t mix more than you need to. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so all ingredients are combined.

Evenly divide batter into prepared cupcake tin, filling each liner 2/3 of the way full. Transfer to 350F/175C oven and bake for 17-18 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool completely before topping with lemon cream cheese frosting.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and use an electric mixer (or stand mixer) to beat until well-combined.

Add lemon zest, vanilla extract, lemon extract (if using), salt, and lemon juice and beat well.

Gradually, with mixer on low speed, add powdered sugar until completely combined. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl to make sure ingredients are well incorporated.

Once cupcakes have cooled, spread or pipe lemon cream cheese frosting over cupcakes.

**Hate to ruin the mood from above…but what really happened is this:  I caught my cat on the table, licking the frosting off a cupcake.  The end.

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Cupcakes de Limão

56 g manteiga sem sal, temperatura ambiente
60 ml óleo vegetal
150 g açucar
1 colheres de sopa raspas de limão amarelo (finamente ralado)
2 ovos grandes batidos ligeiramente, temperatura ambiente
3/4 colher de chá de extrato de baunilha
185 g farinha de trigo ou farinha de bolo
1 1/2 colher de chá de pó royal
1/4 colhere chá de sal
1/2 copo de leitelho (118 g)
2 colheres de sopa de suco de limão fresco

Cobertura de Limão e Cream Cheese

113 g de manteiga sem sal, temperatura ambiente
226 g de cream cheese em barra, temperatura ambiente
1/2 colher de chá de extrato de baunilha
1/2 colher de sopa extrato de limão
1/4 colher de chá de sal
1 colher de sopa de suco de limão
2 colheres de chá de raspas de limão
500 g de açucar de confeiteiro

Cupcakes de Limão

Pre-aqueça o forno a 175C e coloque as forminhas de papel na forma para 12 cupcakes.

Coloque a manteiga numa tigela grande e bata até ficar cremoso.  Adicione o óleo, açucar e as raspas de limão até incorporar.
Adicione os ovos e a baunilha e misture até ficar homogeneo.

Numa tigela separada bata a farinha, o pó royal, e o sal.  Num copo grande misture o leitelho e o suco de limão.  Usando uma colher ou spatula, pouco a pouco, misture um terço da farinha de trigo com os ingredientes molhados apenas até incorporar (não usa a batedeira).  Adicione a metade da mistura de leite e limão.  Repita, adicionando a farinha e depois o leite, terminando com a farinha. (sempre respando os lados da tigela.

Divide a mistura igualmente entre as forminhas de cupcake, enchendo até 2/3 do topo (a massa cresce um pouco).  Leve para o forno e asse por 17 minutos ou até que um palito enfiado no meio saia com esfarelos úmidos.  Deixe esfriar e coloque a cobertura.

Cobertura de Limão e Cream Cheese

Junte a manteiga e o cream cheese numa tigela grande.  Use uma batedeira elétrica e bata até ficar bem incorporado.  Adicione as raspas de limão, extrato de baunilha, extrato de limão, sal, suco de limão e bata bem.  Diminua a velocidade da batedeira (velocidade baixa) e adicione o açucar de confeiteiro lentamente.  Raspe os lados da tigela para asegurar que os ingredientes incorporem.

Quando esfriarem os cupcakes, espalhe a cobertura de cream cheese.