The World’s on Fire, but at Least There’s Blueberry Lemon Streusel Cake.
This week's episode is a little different. I speak to current events, give out the recipe, and talk about schizophrenia.
Blueberry Lemon Streusel Cake:
Ingredients
Creaming
¾ Cup sugar
¾ Cup Brown Sugar
1 ½ sticks butter (unsalted – room temp)
Zest of one lemon
4 eggs
Dry
300 grams flour
½ Tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
7 oz dried blueberries (NOT freeze dried – they should be similar to raisins or cranberries… you can substitute fresh ones if you’d like)
Wet
¾ c ricotta
3/4c + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 tablespoons lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
1 ½ tablespoons almond extract
Streusel Topping
140 grams flour
1/2c sugar
1/2c brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons nutmeg
¼ shaved almonds
Zest of two lemons
¾ stick of butter (melted)
Glaze
Juice of two lemons
Powdered sugar (enough to form a stiff glaze, that’s pourable but not runny – about 1 ½ cups)
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1) Preheat oven to 350F degrees (165 C). Spray and line a 9x13 pan or two cake rounds with parchment paper. Set aside.
2) In a large measuring cup, combine the ricotta, buttermilk, lemon juice, and almond extract. Stir together and allow it to sit.
3) Gather your dry ingredients (except for blueberries) in a separate bowl and set aside.
4) In a large bowl or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugars, and lemon zest until fluffy and double in size. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl in between each addition. Beat until smooth and combined.
5) Add in half the dry ingredients to the creamed butter. Stir until just combined. Add in all of the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Add the remaining dry and stir until its just combined (be careful to not over mix). Lastly, fold in your dried blueberries. Set aside.
6) Combine all of the ingredients for the streusel topping except for the almonds. (If it looks dry, you can melt and add the remaining ¼ stick into the mix)
7) Pour your batter into the pan. *Optional* Take half of your batter and pour it into the pan. You can sprinkle in some brown sugar over it and then pour the other half of the batter over the top. It just helps to add a sweet element to it.
8) Take the streusel topping and liberally sprinkle over the top. Sprinkle almonds over the top as well and press in lightly with your fingers or the back of a spoon to ensure it has made contact with the batter and won’t fall off when cut.
9) Bake for 55 minutes to 1hr 15minutes. It’ll depend on your oven. Because it is a lighter batter it will brown a lot so don’t be alarmed. Simply insert a toothpick in the middle and when it comes out dry that’s how you know it’s ready.
10) Let it cool for an hour
11) Make your icing by juicing and zesting two lemons, and adding 1-1 ½ cups powdered sugar (or until it’s a thick glaze). Set aside.
12) Cut your cake into 12 slices and drizzle the icing over the top.
13) Keep wrapped in plastic or in an air-tight container for a week. You can freeze it as well.
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Resource website for schizophrenia: https://sardaa.org/
Here's the links to support the BLM and to educate yourself on what's going on:
An article on BLM in my hometown, Fort Worth, TX: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/article243122051.html
Dallas Bail Fund:
Anti-Racism Resources :
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/mobilebasic
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xa9Av-NfuFsWBHlsMvPiqJHdNedZgnCRW56qAS-7PGQ/mobilebasic
News Outlets (to diversify your mind):
https://www.indiewire.com/2020/05/how-to-help-protesters-where-to-donate-1202234568/
Shirt/Sticker Purchases with 100% donations to BLM:
https://tylerevans.bigcartel.com/
Bail Funds in every city: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X4-YS3vFn5CLL9QtJSU0xqmTh_h8XilXgOqGAjZISBI/mobilebasic
https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/louisville-community-bail-fund/
Baking-ish is a podcast produced and edited by Fahrenheit Co., a U.S. based entity run and organized by Ren Newman.
**I am not a mental health professional. Please talk to a healthcare professional before doing or changing anything within your daily life. These experiences and opinions reflect only my personal experiences.
