Margarita Cake, my way

 I love making and baking cakes, but rarely eat more than a small slice; however, I've just started going to Bingo and found out that they love it when someone bakes a cake and donates it.  The cake is raffled off, and usually the winner shares it, so it's a win-win.  Not only do I get to bake a cake, but I get to taste it as well.

I signed up to make a cake this week, and since it's the day after Cinco de Mayo, I thought it would be fun to make a Margarita Cake.  Well, once I started looking for a recipe, I went down a rabbit hole, but I managed to find a side tunnel and came out with this.  

If you know me, you may know I do not like using cake mixes.  I much prefer baking from scratch, and I have to say 90% of the time, it works well.  

After glazing the cake, I let the excess glaze run onto some paper towels (less mess and cleanup) 

Then I had fun.   I added the third glaze, which was a lot thicker, zested some more lime over it and added some candied lime slices. 

Put it onto a pretty platter and brought it with me to Bingo.

BTW, I made the candied lime slices just like I used to make Candied Orange Slices.

Margarita Cake

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking - Adapted from many recipes

A fun cake to make to celebrate Cinco de Mayo or anytime you want a celebratory cake, this one is perfect for many occasions.

Ingredients

Cake

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan; set aside while mixing the cake.
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups AP flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch (mix in with flour to make cake flour)
• 3 large eggs
• 4 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Zest from 2 limes
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup Tequila ( good stuff, you can taste the difference
• 1/16th cup Grand Marnier or a good orange liqueur
• Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the softened cream cheese, and continue to cream together.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well.
• Add the zest, lime juice, tequila, and orange liqueur, mix.
• Add the flour and baking powder mixture alternating with the milk, one-third at a time. Being careful to not overmix.
• Spoon the batter into a prepared bundt pan and bake in 325 deg oven for 45 minutes. Checking for doneness at 45 minutes, and baking an additional 10 minutes if needed, and a toothpick or cake tester shows that the cake has not cooked fully.
• Take out of the oven when baked and place on a cooling rack, upside down. Let cool for 30 minutes before applying the first glaze.

Instructions

Glazes to top baked Bundt.

1. 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2. 1/8 cup tequila
3. 1/8 cup fresh lime juice
4. Zest of a half lemon
5. Mix well, and drizzle half over the baked cake in an even fashion. Let it sit for an hour and then apply the second glaze
6. Make the second glaze by adding more confectioners' sugar, enough to make a drizzle glaze. Drizzle half of it on the cake in a pleasing design. Set aside.
7. Add enough more confectioner's sugar to make a stiff glaze and spoon or spread across the top of the bundt cake. Decorate with candied lime slices and a sprinkle of lime zest if desired.
8. The first two glazes will set nicely, as will the third. If the glazes get too stiff, add more lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon at a time.
9. It's very easy to make the glazes too loose, but if you do, you can correct it by adding confectioners' sugar to compensate.

Estimate only

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Blini with Smoked Salmon

 I love Smoked Salmon.  

That was a complete sentence. 

 I've been known to pick up pieces and just shovel them into my mouth, ok, so I was a little more delicate than that.    I've made quite a few dishes/recipes with smoked salmon over the years, but this is one of my favorite ways to use it, for now.  I may change my mind in the future.  As I experiment try new recipes. 

I've used both cold-smoked and hot-smoked salmon in my recipes.  I think it elevates just about every recipe you make.   I've made Salmon Mousse, Smoked Salmon Tarts, Salmon Cakes, topped Deviled Eggs with a curl of smoked salmon, and I've even made my own Gravad Laks.  And I made this amazing Smoked Salmon Cheesecake once as well.   And a few years back, I made this Chunky Shrimp and Smoked Salmon spread, and people still ask me about it.  It is good, I will say that.   It also looks pretty on a plate. 

Get the idea, I like Smoked Salmon?  Well, I do.   I actually have way more Smoked and regular Salmon recipes on my blog.  Go ahead and take a look.  I would detail them here, but this post is all about Elegant Appetizers for Mother's Day for our Sunday Funday Bunch.

And I just had to participate, with, you guessed it, Smoked Salmon.  Our hostess this week is Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Even though I'm the only mother I'm celebrating this year, I can make it special for me.  So I did, make it special, that is.    And I blame it all on The Great British Bake Off.   They had their contestants make Blini with Hot Smoked Salmon once, and I kinda glommed onto that idea and came up with these little bites of deliciousness. 

Too much hyperbole? Nah.   

I made some buckwheat blini (I had some buckwheat flour on hand to make buckwheat Pancakes).  And then I played, a lot.  

I raided my dill plant, minced up some red onion and some capers, and decorated. 

 Then I consumed.

But before I finished consuming, I decorated with some fresh Dill Fronds, cause I could. 

 I even topped them off with some Caviar.  I had way too much fun, and now I have a jar of Caviar in the fridge to use on something. I'm sure I'll come up with an idea or two to use it.   I'll share my attempts on here as well.  

Take a look at what our other fabulous cooks came up with: 

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Wendy Klik Blini with Caviar 
• Amy's Cooking Adventures: Crackers with Salami & Pepperoni Rosettes 
• Sneha's Recipe: Crumb Coated Cheesy Veg Crepes 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: Fresh Artichoke and Spinach Dip 
• Culinary Cam : Roasted Carrot Tarte Tatin 
• Sid's Sea Palm Cooking : Smoked Salmon Blini 
  
• Mayuri's JikoniMayuri's Jikoni: Sweet Potato Brie Bites

 

Buckwheat Blini with Smoked Salmon

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking - Adapted from many recipes

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 3 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 43 Min

Make this Mother's Day extra special with these bites of deliciousness. Be aware, this recipe makes a lot of blini. 

Ingredients

Blini

• 1/2  cup Buckwheat Flour
• 1/2 cup AP Flour
• 1 egg separated - room temperature
• 3/4 cup warm milk
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Toppings

• 1/2 cup Crème Fraîche
• 1 tsp. Creamed Horseradish
• 2 + oz. Cold Smoked Salmon, sliced thinly
• 1-2 Tablespoons finely minced Red Onion
• 1-2 Tablespoons, finely chopped Capers
• 2 + teaspoons Caviar
• 2 + teaspoons finely chopped Fresh Dill, plus more for decorations
• Mix the Crème fraîche and horseradish together and set aside

Instructions

1. Heat the milk to about 110 degrees, add egg yolk, yeast, and sugar, set aside until frothy.
2. Sift the dry ingredients together, then add the milk-yeast mixture and combine.
3. Cover with some plastic wrap and set aside for about an hour or until the batter has doubled in size.
4. Beat the egg white until stiff. Fold into the risen batter.  
   
   
   
5. Place a non-stick frying pan on the stove and heat to medium-high. Or spray some cooking spray in a frying pan and heat.
6. Dollop about a tablespoon of the batter into the heated pan, doing about 4 at a time, cook until  bubbly, turn over and cook an additional 45 seconds or so. Remove to a warmed platter.

Assembly

1. Now for the fun part, assembly:
2. Dollop about a half teaspoon of the Crème fraîche-horseradish sauce on each blini.
3. Form a 'rose' out of each piece of salmon, and place carefully on top of the creme fraiche mixture. Top with a sprinkle of the finely minced onion, capers, and chopped dill. Add a 1/4 teaspoon of caviar on top if you wish. Use some dill fronds to decorate further if desired.
4. Serve immediately.

 

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