Strawberry Lemon Crunch Cake

I'm sorry, I know I said I'd share the other quilts but we had a bit of small emergency and had to watch our 5 year old grandson for a few days. As the quilts are in the cedar chest, its a little difficult for me to get them out right now.

I do promise to show them to you but until then, I wanted to share a great cake recipe. This one I made for my mother on her 78th birthday. She was really impressed and loved it. It does take a little more care and work than a normal cake but well worth it. Especially for a special person. Many times older people don't need things very much for their birthday, but something like this does that shows care and love makes a big impact.

I got the recipe from this cookbook,

Its a collection of the magazines recipes from throughout the year. We used to subscribe to Sunset. The cake I made is the one on the cover. Isn't it beautiful? and its just as delicious too.

The print is small so I'm going to give you the recipe so you can make it for your special person. Its well worth the work, believe me!

                Strawberry Lemon  Crunch Cake

Lemon-pistachio Sponge Cake                                             

(recipe follows)

Lemon cream 
 
Lemon crunch

4 cups strawberries, hulled                                                                                                              
 halved lengthwise
                 

Pistachios reserved from cake
Mint
Lemon-pistachio Sponge Cake

Place 1 1/2 cups shelled, roasted pistachios in a 8 inch square pan and put in a 350 oven for around 10 minutes or until deep golden in color. Cool completely. Reserve 1 cup for later, chopped finely the rest.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, 4 large egg whites, beat  at high speed until foamy. Beating gradually, add 1/2 cup sugar until whites hold their shape. Set aside.
In another large bowl, beat 4 large egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of grated lemon peel until very thick. Add 1/2 cup flour and 3 Tablespoons water plus the chopped nuts. Mix at low speed.
Stir a bit of the egg white mixture into the yolk mixture gradually, and then gently fold in the rest of the white mixture. Spread batter in a  ungreased 9 or 10 inch cheesecake pan with a removeable bottom.
Bake at 325 oven until cake is golden and springs back when lightly touched in middle when touched gently in the middle. About 40 minutes. Let cake cool completely in pan on a rack. Run a spatula around the edges between cake and pan, then remove sides. Slide a spatula until the cake from the bottom of the pan. At this point, you can make the cake ahead of time and it will keep about a day.

Lemon Cream

In a 2 to 3 qt pan, mix 4 large egg yolks 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel,  and 1/2 cup butter ( use the real stuff) cut in pieces. Stir over medium low heat, until mixture thickens  and heavily coats a spoon a metal spoon. 8 to 12 minutes. Cool and chill until cold, at least, 1 1/2 hours. Beat 1 cup of whipping cream until stiff and then fold in the lemon cream.  it took can be made ahead about a day.

Lemon crunch
Butter a 12 square of foil and set aside.  In a 1 to 1/2 qt. pan, mix 3/4 cup sugar, 3 Tablespoons water, and 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup. Boil over medium high heat until syrup  measures 300 degrees on a candy thermometer 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, immediately stir in 1 teaspoon baking soda and grated lemon peel. Pour onto foil. Let cool. Enclose in a plastic bag, coarsely crush the candy with a mallet.
it can be made ahead of time.

Place cake on a platter and slip pieces of paper underneath it to cover plate rim. Swirl all the lemon cream but one cup on top and sides of cake. Pat lemon crunch around the sides of the cake and just to the top edge. There may be extra which you can use for other things.
Arrange the strawberries , either cut side down or up on top of cake. Garnish with mint. Chill the cake for up to 2 hours.
Serve the remaining nuts and cream on the side. Nice to add as a garnish to a cut slice.

As I said, this cake is more work than most but well worth it. Absolutely delicious and great for a special birthday or other celebration. Most of it can be made ahead of time too which is a plus. My mom is no longer with us but we have great memories of her birthday and this memorable cake.