Buttermilk Lemon Cake with Fresh Whipped Cream

I love using buttermilk in recipes.  It adds this great tangy flavor and lightens a recipe up quite a bit as well. I was looking for a dessert for a summer BBQ and this one was perfect! After a day of indulgent gaucamole and chips, hot dogs and burgers, this light dessert was the perfect finish!

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup sugar (divided)

4 egg yolks

1/3 cup meyer lemon juice & zest

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted)

1/8 tsp salt

3 egg whites

Heavy Whipping Cream

Assorted Berries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Blend buttermilk, 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice, flour, butter, and salt in blender until smooth. Transfer buttermilk mixture to medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Gently fold buttermilk mixture into whites in 3 additions (batter will be runny).

Pour batter into prepared dish. Place dish in roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of dish. Bake until entire top is evenly browned and cake moves very slightly in center but feels slightly springy to touch, about 45 minutes. Remove dish from roasting pan.

Cool cake completely in baking dish on rack. Refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 6 hours. Spoon pudding cake out into shallow bowls. Pour cream around cake. Top with berries.

Walnut Raisin Avocado Bread

I totally lucked out and married into a family that owns an avocado grove….free avocados!! Best present ever! But sometimes even I can only eat so much guacomole & turkey avocado sandwiches. This recipe is a total hit! The raisins and walnuts add great flavor and crunch to this recipe and served with a little cream cheese frosting will be sure to impress!

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 7/8 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe avocado
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the mashed avocado. Stir in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk until just mixed. Fold in the chopped walnuts, raisins and orange zest. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans.

3. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow loaves to cool in pan for at least 20 minutes before removing.