Lemon Yogurt Cake with Raspberry Creme Fraiche Frosting

We are heading to my in-laws this weekend to celebrate Easter and I have been asked to bring a cake to serve at brunch on Sunday.  While going through recipes I stumbled across an old favorite of mine that I instantly thought would be perfect to bring this weekend.  This cake is actually a marriage of two recipes - Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Loaf and Giada De Laurentiis' Raspberry and Orange Cake.  Lemon combined with any type of berry always makes for a fabulous flavor profile, so combining Ina's Cake Recipe with Giada's Frosting Recipe was an instant winner!!!   The bright flavors and colors of this cake make it the perfect addition to any Spring menu.  Whether you are serving this cake for brunch or dessert, it is a definite crowd-pleaser and sings Spring time!

Cake Ingredients

• Double the recipe (minus glaze) for Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake

Frosting Ingredients

• Giada de Laurentiis' Frosting Recipe from Todd's Orange and Raspberry Cake

Decorations

• 1/2 pint of Fresh Raspberries
• Ina Garten's Lemon Glaze from her Lemon Yogurt Cake Recipe

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease a tube/angel food cake pan and set aside
3. Make the cake batter according to the recipe
4. Pour batter into the greased cake pan and bake for 1 hr and 5 minutes, positioning the cake on the lower third tier of the oven (until a cake tester comes out clean).  **Note- During the last 15 minutes of baking, cover the top of the cake loosely with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent the cake from burning
5. During the last 5 minutes of baking, combine 2/3c Granulated Sugar and 2/3c Fresh Lemon Juice in a small sauce pan and heat until it begins to boil and sugar is completely dissolved
6. When the cake comes out of the oven, pour the lemon syrup over the cake and allow it to soak for at least 3 minutes before removing the cake from the pan
7. Meanwhile, make Giada's frosting recipe adding an extra tablespoon or two of milk to ever so slightly thin out the frosting
8. When the cake is cooled, pour the frosting over the cake and allow it to set
9. Once the frosting is dry, garnish the base of the cake with fresh raspberries and drizzle Ina Garten's Lemon Glaze on top of the cake

Game Day Ideas

Today marks exactly one year since the launch of Redefining Domestics!  This time last year I was celebrating my blog launch, while simultaneously hosting a Superbowl party (whew!).  At the time I was so crazed with getting the final details of the blog and party ready, I wasn't able to share some of my festive game day party ideas with you all.  Today I wanted to take a look back at two great ideas for hosting a Super Bowl party.  These are really simple concepts that you can easily implement and will have you feeling game day ready come Sunday!

Game Day Cupcakes

1. Prepare Ina Garten's Coconut Cupcake Recipe (or similar) using these football-themed cupcake papers
2. In a bowl, dump one bag of flaked coconut and mix with 3-4 drops of green food coloring (until you reach desired level of green grass-like look
3. Apply green colored coconut to the tops of each frosted cupcake
4. Garnish with a single Game Day Toothpick Flag

Game Day Centerpiece

To create this centerpiece, I centered a vase filled with gorgeous (and very voluminous) hydrangeas towards the back of this round brass tray.  Then I arranged these adorable astroturf yard marker coasters in the center and filled in the side spaces with these party foam footballs.  

It's so much fun to have these photos to look back on and honestly I do marvel at all that I have done/accomplished in a year.  It's been a great first year with Redefining Domestics and I am really excited for all that is yet to come with my blog.  Thank you all for your unwavering support of the blog.  You all are my constant inspiration/driving force to keep on posting!

Christmas Tablescape

We are officially in the home stretch of the Christmas Countdown (thank goodness)!  I don't know if you all feel the same way, but hosting back to back holidays has definitely contributed to my overwhelming feeling of fatigue.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love hosting and am so happy to have my family coming into town for both holidays.  However, what I think I have learned from this experience is that it takes a lot of work (and money) to host, and when you are working full time on top of all of this holiday prep, it can leave you feeling completely wiped out.  So maybe next year I might scale back a bit (of course I say this now...).   Ultimately, my point is that everyone who is hosting one or both holidays this season should be commended for taking on such an insanely tall order.  I know that I have certainly gained a profound appreciation for what it takes and I laud all of you who have decided to take on this task as well!

Okay, enough of my little self reflections. Onto my Christmas tablescape! This concept was actually inspired by a Martha Stewart Christmas table setting I had come across last year.  She had created a simple elegant tablescape using my wedding china pattern, white linens and red amaryllis flowers encircling tall white tapers.  It was STUNNING to say the least and I knew that it would be the inspiration for my future Christmas tablescape when the time came for me to host.  Plus, who doesn't love an opportunity to use their nice china??  Since there seem to only be a handful of occasions throughout the year where fancy china is appropriate for dinner, I like to take complete advantage of every opportunity!  Below are the details on what I used to create this festive table setting as well as what I plan on serving for dinner.  

Tablescape Details

• Dinner Plates: Bernardaud Constance 
• Napkins: CB2 Restaurant Napkins, Set of 4
• Napkin Rings: Sur La Table (*similar here)
• Place Cards: Caspari Berries & Bow Die Cut Place Cards 
• Wine Goblets: William Yeoward "Fanny"
• Water Glasses: Riedel Vinum Water Glass
• Champagne Flutes: William Yeoward "Fanny"
• Table Gifts: Hammonds Candy Ornaments 
• Candles: CB2 Tapers and CB2 Bronn Candle Holders
• Flowers: Trader Joe's Mixed Holiday Greens

My Christmas Dinner Menu

• Entree: Ina Garten's Filet of Beef Tenderloin
• Side Dish: Tyler Florence's Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin
• Vegetable: Ina Garten's Roasted Asparagus
• Dessert: Ina Garten's Sticky Toffee Date Cake with Bourbon Glaze
• Specialty Cocktail: Martha Stewart's Classic Eggnog

This table is a relatively simple scape but I am in love with the way it has come together and totally thrilled to have this preparation task checked off of my to-do list!  While I am a little tired, I have to say that seeing these photos and thinking about sharing this holiday with my family has gotten me reinvigorated to keep going with the remaining preparations.  More holiday prep tips and ideas are coming to the blog on Wednesday, so stay tuned!

Sea Salted Caramel Apple Pie Recipe

Now that we are in the heart of the Fall season, one question that I continue to be asked is "what apple pie recipe do I use?"  While I have posted numerous photos of my pies to my Instagram page and even written a post on my apple pie baking tips, the one thing I have still haven't done is share my favorite apple pie recipe.  My go-to apple pie recipe is actually a compilation of various recipes that I have pieced together to create what I think is a pretty exceptional apple pie.  Let me just say that making an apple pie from scratch is no joke, and you can expect the process from start to finish to take a little over 3 hours.  With that said, there really isn't anything better than a homemade apple pie.  Especially when apples are in peak season! This will be my third year making this recipe for Thanksgiving and it thrills me beyond to still receive requests for this pie on such a special occasion.  If you aren't afraid of a little kitchen time, this recipe is a must try!

Step 1: Apple Prep

• 4 1/2lbs Granny Smith or Jonagold Apples, Cored, Peeled and Sliced Thin (1/4in thick)
• Juice of 2 Lemons
•  2 Tbs Granulated Sugar

Juice the lemons into a large mixing bowl, removing any seeds.  Dredge the prepped apple slices in the lemon juice.  Sprinkle sugar on top of lemon dredged apples.  Transfer apples to a colander placed over a bowl to soften slightly and release some of the juices 30min-2hrs.  (*I realize that is a large time range.  2hrs is optimal but 30minutes works fine for those under tighter time constraints).  Reference my apple pie baking tips post and/or this Alton Brown video to see the importance of draining your apples before baking.  

Step 2: Pie Crust Instructions

1. For homemade (my preference), I use Ina Garten's Perfect Pie Crust Recipe
2. For store bought, you really can't go wrong with Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust

**Note- Homemade dough needs to be chilled for at least 30 minutes once it has been made.  While it doesn't require as much time as the apple draining, it is still wise to get this step taken care of earlier on in the baking process.  

Step 3: For the Caramel Sauce...

This portion of the recipe comes from a very famous pie company in Brooklyn, Four & Twenty Blackbirds.  They are famous for their Sea Salted Caramel Apple Pie.  The concept for this recipe and the actual caramel sauce recipe are both credited to this fabulous company.  Here is a link to the recipe for the caramel sauce.  For added convenience, I have also listed the ingredients for the caramel sauce below:

• 1c Granulated Sugar
• 1/4c Water
• 1 Stick Unsalted Butter (or 1/4 cup)
• 1/2c Heavy Whipping Cream

*Note- Once the caramel sauce is made, set aside until it is time to assemble the pie. 

Step 4: Apple Filling Dry Mixture

Once your apples have drained, toss them in a large bowl with the following dry ingredient mixture:

• 2 Tbs All Purpose Flour
• 1/3 c Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp Allspice
• 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt

Step 5: Oven/Baking Prep

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit and move oven rack to the bottom third level
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (baking sheet should have raised edges, like this one)
3. Pull out an extra sheet of aluminum foil and place it to the side of your oven
4. Make the egg wash
5. Generously flour the surface you plan to use for rolling out your pie dough and flour your rolling pin as well.  

Step 6: Pie Assembly

1. Cut your chilled pie crust dough in half, roll out one half and place the other half back in the fridge
2. Transfer your rolled out crust to the pie dish
3. Add half of the apple mixture to the pie dish, making sure to pack your apples tightly. 
4. Pour half of the caramel mixture on top of the apples
5. Lightly sprinkle about a 1/4tsp of Maldon or Flaked sea salt on top
6. Layer the remaining apples on top, again remembering to pack them tightly
7. Pour the remainder of the caramel sauce over the apples
8. Sprinkle another 1/4tsp of flaked salt on top of the caramel
9. Place small cubes of butter across the top of the pie (approximately 2Tbs total)
10. Roll out the other half of the pie crust and then place on top of the pie to cover
11. Crimp the pie edges and trim off any extra crust
12. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the egg wash over the entire crust (including the crimped edges)
13. Sprinkle about 1 Tbs of granulated sugar and 1/4tsp of sea salt on top of pie crust
14. Use a pairing knife to cut approximate 5 vents in the top of the pie
15. Place the pie dish on top of the lined baking sheet and then put everything into the oven
16. Bake for 25-30min uncovered, then cover the pie loosely with foil, turn the heat down to 375 degrees fahrenheit and continue to bake for another 45-50 minutes 

*Note- you will know your pie is done when you are able to stick a knife or bamboo skewer through a vent at the top of the pie all the way down to the base of the pie without feeling any resistance.  In addition, pie juices will start to escape through the vents when the pie is done baking (not always but often).