When life gives you lemons. . .make lemon curd!
From our lemon tree (or in this case my dear friends lemon tree as we ate all of ours..) to our lemon curd. We at Vista Cakes figure why buy it when you can make it?! As mother always says “Fresh is best”!
Please experiment with your fruit. Start with Lemons! They are friendly đ here is our Lemon Curd Recipe:
4 eggs, beaten in a separate heat proof bowl
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, cut into small cubes
4 large lemons
Zest and juice the lemons into a heat-proof bowl or double boiler. Add the sugar and butter. Place bowl over a pan containing a couple inches of simmering water. Be sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir over the simmering water until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
Pour a ladle of the warm lemon mix into the eggs, stirring rapidly to avoid curdling. Pour the tempered eggs back into the bowl with the lemon mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy (about 10 to 15 minutes). Strain to remove zest and any coagulated egg and pour into clean, warm jars. Seal while still hot.
Cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Makes approximately 2 pints.
Enjoy!
Love and Marriage and Cake!
Meet Lori and Artie
Second-timers Lori and Artie knew exactly what they wanted for their Christmas Eve wedding. Â More importantly they knew what they didnât want. Â No drama, fuss or to-do. Â Just close friends in the comfort and style of their own home and a celebration cake with a nod to the season.
Lori and Artie were a joy to work withâŚeasy going and kind-hearted.  Just the sort of people we want to have as part of our Vista family!  The three tiered cake boasted silver poinsettias and white roses with just the tips of the petals brushed with silver, while pearls and crystals finished the holiday look.
The three layer oval bottom tier was Red Velvet with Raspberry Mousse filling, the middle oval was a three layer Tiramisu inspired cake with decadent White Chocolate mousse filling. Â The top tier, not to be out-done by its bigger brothers, was a three layer Margarita Lime cake with fresh Lime Curd filling. Â Yum! Â The cake was frosted with creamy and delicious buttercream frosting tinted a delicate antique cream. Â Posed on our silver cake pedestal, it was nearly as sparkly as the Christmas tree!
As is the case with all of our wedding cakes, we expect the top tier to be served to the guests.  Itâs our policy to provide the happy couples we work with a fresh âtop tierâ for their anniversary celebration.  (Face it folksâŚfrozen cake doesnât taste good!)  The Margarita Lime cake proved to be so popular Lori confided that she should have ordered it for one of the larger layers!  No worries, Lori!  You can have your anniversary cake in any flavor you like!
Lori reports that the wedding was just as low-key and comfortable as theyâd hoped it would be. Â Our warmest congratulations to the two of them, with wishes for many years of joy to come. Â And cake. Â We wish them lots and lots of cake!
Medical School Graduate Cake
Our friend Lyn’s son just graduated from medical school. He is officially a physician’s assistant! So how much better would it be to hand draw on the scrub’s (made of fondant) pocket the caduceus as well as the trade mark “I’m a dr now” stethoscope. Chocolate cake with chocolate fudge filling completes the celebration!
Way to go! Heal many people!
More On Our Naked Cake
Whatâs a Naked Cake?
Itâs not naughty so just get your minds out of the gutter! A naked cake is constructed without frosting. Our groom didnât care for frosting. The bride supplied us with a Pinterest post (boy, donât you just love Pinterest? How did we find anything before it came along?) displaying a cake totally devoid of frosting.
HmmmmâŚ..
The baker in me panicked. The venue was the brideâs family backyard. Lovely and perfect under its fairytale tents but still outside! I feared the edges of the cake would become dry and crisp before service. What to do? We suggested the cake be covered with a very thin âcrumb coatâ of frosting, sealing in freshness but allowing the rustic look the bride was hoping for. Finished off with plump, fresh berries, handmade hydrangea blossoms and the whimsical wire âMr. and Mrs.â cake topper it was a work of art! Well, at least I think so!
The flavors? Iâm so glad you asked! The bottom tier was a three layer Vanilla Bean Cake filled with a creamy Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream. The middle tier was Mocha Cake filled with Bavarian Cream and the top tier was a Tiramisu Cake filled with Mascarpone Filling. Yummy!
The cake was a hit with the guests according to the brideâs mom, who kindly texted to let us know.
What do you think?
Naked Cake and Baby Cakes
Naked cake. . . made you look!
In other news. ..
Our friend had a sip and see to introduce her brand new baby boy Gunnar. She asked us to make blueberry lemon cupcakes. Sarah hand-cut the whales.
Thanks for stopping by!
Good morning!
Our intrepid blogger Cassidee is feeling under the weather these days. Join me, won’t you? In wishing her a speedy return to health…and a speedy return to her blogging duties here at Vista Cakes!
Get well soon, my darling girl! We miss you.
