Easter Dessert

I got carried away again. It happens about every three or four years, when I look at the mini egg-shaped cake pans in my cabinet. They are really only useful two times a year - at Easter and during football season. Since we don't watch football, Easter is really the only time I use these pans. I had some egg whites to use up, so I made my favorite white cake. I decided to make some for our Easter/Equinox/Spring cookout (a very non-traditional but yummy brisket and ribs dinner). I told myself I wouldn't get carried away with decorating and would slap on some icing, but I just couldn't resist temptation. I did fewer designs than last time, though, where each one was different, but it still took a couple of hours. It was fun and everyone liked them. The leftovers went to the neighbors, except for the bonus cake (see below).

I have closeup pictures posted on my blog's photo album so you can see the detail.

BONUS CAKE

Since I had more cake batter than egg-shaped pans, I decided to make a small layer cake with the leftover batter. The batter took a few more whites than I had on hand, so I ended up with a couple of yolks to use up. Yolks don't keep as well as whites do, so I needed to use them fast. I made a lemon curd with them to use as a filling for the cake.

I use the Fine Cooking lemon curd recipe (Lemon Curd for Scottish Shortbread), but I follow the Cook's Illustrated instructions, since the FC recipe has weird directions like creaming the butter and sugar together - even though it will be melted. I just don't get that.

Lemon curd must be one of the top 10 foods in the world. It has a great balance between tart and sweet, has a luscious texture and it seems to glow with inner beauty. If I were on death row, lemon curd would make an appearance in my last meal.

The bonus cake is a cute size at 7 inches. I found the 7-inch pans at a flea market in Ohio last fall for $3.00 and scooped them up - I've never seen that size before. As cute as the cake could have been, I did a lot things half-assed with it. I didn't even try to level it, so my practice icing job doesn't look too great. I didn't have much yellow icing left, so I used some to make a dam to hold back the lemon curd between the layers, then mixed the rest in with the green icing. Therefore the only two colors of icing left were green and purple, hardly an attractive combination when not being used as flowers and leaves. There was juuust enough to cover the sides and do a few dots, so lemon curd ended up on top as well. Although it looks garish the taste is oh so yummy. I'm eating the leftover lemon curd with a spoon as a midnight snack.