This morning, I’m flashing back to one of my all favorite posts. I remember the day I shot it – Emma was about 4 months old, it was a Saturday morning (back when I would do all of my work on Saturday!) and Mike and Emma watched me while I set up everything on our old porch in Concord with my favorite blue backdrop and old table. I can’t believe that was 4 years ago – it feels like about 10!
This cake was made in my 6″ round cake pan – which has been restocked, again. You can use this recipe for my Lemon Pound Cake, or you can use a box white cake mix. If you are in the mood for chocolate, leave out the lemon curd layer and make a chocolate cake layered with whip cream and berries. The combinations are endless. I really just like this idea of a casual, rustic layer cake that is perfect in its imperfections – and unbelievably easy.
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Vanilla Pound Cake with Lemon Curd Creme, Blackberries, Blue Berries & Black Plums
I love assembling desserts. When I’m entertaining, any shortcuts that result in something scrumptious looking and delicious is welcome in my kitchen. I set out to make a trifle… but I somehow have misplaced my trifle bowl. Funny- I don’t think I ever actually used it for a trifle before, but I used it all of the time when I was catering as an elevated bowl for salads, dip, fruit, whatever- and now that I actually need it for a trifle, I can’t find it. Of course. I think I even had two from the catering days… multiples of everything.
Anyway, I really wanted to make an elegant, yet slightly rustic and well, sloppily decadent looking dessert. I decided to make a trifle-looking layer cake with pound cake, lemon curd cream and whipped cream topped with berries. It turned out beautifully. I think.
Vanilla Pound Cake with Lemon Curd Cream, Whipped Cream & Berries
6″ Round Cake (6″ cake pan, my lemon recipe here)
1 pint of Whipping Cream
1/4 cup of Sugar Berries & Fruit
Lemon, zested
Whip the cream with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add sugar and whip for another 30 seconds. Slice cake into 3 layers with a serrated knife. Layer with whipped cream and lemon curd cream between each layer. Top with whipped cream, berries, fruit and lemon zest.
I bake my cakes with a piece of parchment paper (you can buy here>) cut to the shape of the bottom of my pan. You can easily use a store-bought pound cake for this ‘assembled’ dessert. I baked mine because I wanted a round cake that would fit on this cake stand.
A serrated knife is also known as a bread knife – essential for not tearing up your cake.
Put lots of lemon – half of the recipe between each layer!
Big dollops of whipped cream – enough to smoosh over the sides.
Next layer, please… This is really just silly simple. I think a cake made in a loaf pan – traditional pound cake – would look great, too.
Pile it on. The messier the better.
Now the pretty fruit. You really can’t mess this up – just make it look bountiful, the secret to all great looking food!
Lemon zest adds…
Just the right thing amongst the dark berries. Isn’t she a beauty? Wow. She’s messy and pretty at the same time. Can I say wow about my own creation?
She looks great, piled high and overflowing, as part of a Mother’s Day Spring table setting.