Friday, December 10, 2010

Lemon Curd and Honey Spice Cake



 The excitement of  preparing for Christmas is in the air but my son's absence is tugging at my heartstrings this year, as he will be thousands of miles away on the other side of the world.  Knowing I'm missing him terribly, my husband lovingly put his picture on my screen saver, so it's Matt's smiling face I see each morning  as I fumble to the computer with my hot cup of coffee. I know he's also on my husband's mind, so this old fashioned recipe was made lovingly for him with all his favourite ingredients.


Ingredients: 
Lemon Curd:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
4 eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
Add the sugar, lemon juice, lemon rind and butter in a saucepan.  Stir the ingredients on medium heat  until dissolved. In a bowl beat the eggs and  gradually pour in a steady stream  the lemon mixture. This method will temper the beaten eggs when adding the hot mixture. Transfer back to the saucepan and simmer for 1-2 minutes to allow the lemon/egg mixture to thicken. Pour into a glass bowl and place a plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a crust from forming. Refrigerate for  2-3 hours.  
Fold in the whipping cream and serve.


Honey Spice Cake:
1 3/4 all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 cup Thompson raisins
Take a small amount of the flour (about 2-3 tablespoons) and coat the raisins. Set aside.  In a bowl, sift together the remainder of the  flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices to blend.  In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and gradually beat in the sugar. Blend in the honey and eggs. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Fold in the raisins. Transfer the batter to a prepared 8" inch pan.  Bake in a pre-heated 350º F oven for  40-50 minutes or until a wooden skewer placed in the center comes out clean.







33 comments:

  1. A great cake with so many wonderful flavors! I love ginger, cinnamon and cloves together. and the lemon curd on the top looks a great touch! Lovely presentation!

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  2. Was so excited over this post that I double clicked the Foodbuzz button. Oops. That's a beautiful cake. Love the lemon curd topping. Makes it so photogenic. Sorry you're missing your "little boy" so this Christmas. It's tough being on either side of the separated family for Christmas. So I know he'll be glad to hear you're thinking of him.

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  3. I love lemon curd and this looks divine.

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  4. Zerrin, Thanks for dropping by and such positive feedback. I'm really glad you enjoyed the recipe.

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  5. Amanda, I'm thrilled you enjoyed the photos of the cake. Thanks also for your kind words. No matter what age, they still remain our "little ones". I guess we'll just have to have a belated Christmas celebration when he gets back from his traveling adventure.

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  6. Kitchenarian, thanks. Lemon curd can be so versatile. I also love it as a filling for cakes and it's delicious in fruit flans.

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  7. Hi sweet woman. I'm thinking of you and Matt and your family. I know it must be hard to be so far apart. My heart goes out to you all! This cake looks so delicious. The lemon curd on top is just heavenly! Thank you so much for sharing with me. I hope you have a beautiful Saturday!

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  8. Looks absolutely delicious and yummy! Fantastic combination!

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  9. Monet,I know how much family means to you, and really appreciated your kind words regarding Matt's absence during the holidays. I'm really happy you enjoyed the photo and recipe. I hope you have a lovely week-end.

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  10. Thanks,Dimah, the tart flavour of the lemon curd is a lovely contrast with the spices in the cake.

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  11. I've never thought to pair spice cake and lemon curd, but it's such a great idea! Your cake looks wonderful.

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  12. This sounds and looks delicious! I can't imagine being away from my family at the holidays, I'm sure your son is thinking of you too!

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  13. Umm....yummy! The only problem is I can't taste it because I don't have the motherly touch to cook it. Miss you too mum but don't worry, be back before you know it. Can't wait to eat some good old home cooked meals again. Love you and talk to you soon!

    Xo Matt

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  14. Thanks for stopping by my blog! Yours is lovely with so many great desserts. I have a soft spot in my heart for lemon curd in anything... this creamy version is splendid and I can imagine it with that spice cake, delish!

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  15. A wonderfully flavourful X'mas spice cake! Now I am going to get some tea and you bring some cake over, okay? :-))

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  16. Thanks for sharing this wonderful cake Anna!A lovely idea for Christmas....a hug...

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  17. I'm sorry you are missing your son. You have a very thoughtful husband. This cake would definitely cheer me up. It's very lovely!

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  18. Thanks so much Katie for dropping by. I'm glad you like the recipe.

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  19. Cheers to your son! This is a wonderful honey spice cake. Beautiful.

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  20. Deana, the pleasure was all mine. I really loved your blog. Lemon curd is so divine. Glad to hear from another fan of this versatile custard.

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  21. Angie, your so cute. Delivery is on its way!

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  22. Ciao Chiara, I'm glad you liked the recipe. Looking forward to your next post. Have a wonderful week!

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  23. Rimmy, I really appreciate your thoughtful comment. I spoke to Matthew last night and he sounded great. I had the nicest surprise this morning when I saw his comment. Thanks so much for your support. It's so great to have you as a new follower. By the way my husband feel upon your blog and really enjoyed your post on Italian slow food cooking. Thanks again.

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  24. Velva, thanks for dropping by. I spoke to Matthew and he is doing great, enjoying summer "Down Under". His comment was a nice and uplifting surprise. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.

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  25. Hi Anna,

    Thanks for the wonderful wishes on my blog :)

    You have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, I really look forward to catching up with you when I get back! Thank you for being my wonderful foodie friend, I want you to know how much I appreciate it :)

    xo Kim

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  26. I love Spice Cake. The flavors of this cake sound delicious.

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  27. Thanks for dropping in "birthday girl" and leaving such a sweet comment. Kimberly, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and the very best in the New Year.

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  28. Ann, Thanks for the visit. Spice cake seems like the ideal cake for the season. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe.

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  29. This tugged at me - I have a Matthew! But at home in grad school. I saw he stopped by though and that's a truly loving son.

    This does celebrate the holidays - all those warming spices (and aromas) and then topped with the tangy curd - oh my how wonderful. Your photos are making me very, very hungry.

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  30. this cake looks so yummy! i love how moist it looks too...great post. thanks for sharing this.

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  31. This cake looks so delicious and perfectly topped with lemon curd! Thanks for sharing with us :)

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  32. Hi Claudia, thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. Our children never fail to surprise us. Seeing Matthew's "virtual" visit really made my day. It was really sweet of him to leave a few words on the blog.
    I can't agree with you more, the spices in the cake really celebrate the holidays.

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  33. Hi Nancy and Vijay, Thanks for the visit. I'm happy that you enjoyed the recipe. I visited your blog and I'm looking forward to following your posts.

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