What the Pavlova?!

When we go on our cruises, my first favorite dessert is cherries jubilee.  My second favorite is the strawberry pavlova.  Pavlo...what? A pavlova is a meringue type cake usually topped with a whipped cream and fruit. On the cruise, it is a plain pavlova with a simple whipped cream and usually strawberries. I love this dessert because it isn't too sweet and it's very light. A perfect way to end dinner!

I found this recipe for a pavlova and thought I would give it a try.  There are only 3 ingredients that you need to make it! It almost seemed to simple and easy to be true, but it was! After I made mine, I topped it with some sliced strawberries. Unfortunately I did not add and whipped cream to mine but it was still good!

Since the pavlova itself is pretty simple, you can have a lot of fun with it. Here are just a few ideas that I thought of:

- Drizzle Caramel
- Drizzle Chocolate
- Fruit of any kind
- Just by itself!

Hope you enjoy making these delicious little treats!!

-Simply a Girl and Her Home

Simple Pavlovas

Ingredients:

3 egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

splash of vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°.

2. Using a mixer, whip the egg whites. Add in the sugar a little at a time and vanilla until it is fully blended and stiff peaks form.

3. Using a piping bag or ziplock bag, pipe small drops onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. ** 

4. Bake for 30 minutes.

5. Let them set and cool. Then ENJOY!

** If you do not have a piping bag or don't feel comfortable piping the drops, then you can just use a spoon to make them. 

Springtime Lemon Cake

For many of us, it is starting to feel like Spring (unless you are in Michigan where they got 10 inches of snow last night according to my boyfriend)! The other day I was in a baking mood and decided to try a new recipe. I found a recipe for a nice lemon cake that looked absolutely delicious. Although I have never been a huge lemon cake fan, I figured I would try it. 

The first time I made the cake, I followed the recipe exactly. The second time, I did not have any yogurt so I substituted sour cream. I think that the sour cream made the cake a little more moist and helped add a little more tang to it. Another thing that I did to change the recipe a little was, I added extra lemon juice to both the cake batter and the simple syrup. 

If you make any changes or try something new let me know! I would love to hear about them so that I can try them too! 

Enjoy this wonderful Spring cake! 

-Simply A Girl and Her Home

Springtime Lemon Cake

Ingredients:

• Cake:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

• Lemon Simple Syrup
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Lemon Juice (to taste)
• 1/4 cup water

• Glaze
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. You can also use other baking pans (see footnote ** ) 
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. 
4. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.
5. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. 
6. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
8. To make the lemon simple syrup, cook the lemon juice and 1/2 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
9. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon simple syrup mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
10. For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over the cake.

*** I made one cake using the loaf pan. I also made one using a spring form pan. 

I baked that one for about 40 minutes. 

I lastly made some mini cupcakes and baked that for 15 minutes. 

You can use different pans to have fun with it ***