Ginger Lemon Dessert Cups Food

LEMON GINGER MOLASSES CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch round baking pan, line with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, the molasses, and the 2 teaspoons of lemon zest and mix until combined. (The batter may look curdled.)
• Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, scraping down the sides. Mix until smooth. With a rubber spatula, fold in the 1/3 cup of crystallized ginger.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick just comes out clean. Don¿t overbake it! Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, turn out onto a baking rack, and cool completely. Spread the top with whipped cream and sprinkle with crystallized ginger and grated lemon zest.
• Place the cream, confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, creme fraiche, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed, until it forms soft peaks. Serve cold.

LEMON-GINGER ICE IN LEMON CUPS

Steps:

• To make the lemon cups: Trim a very thin slice off of the lemon bottoms so they'll sit sturdy when standing up. Cut off the top 1/3 of the lemon and reserve to cap the cups. Carefully hollow out each lemon with a teaspoon, turning and digging into the pith so the entire inside of the fruit comes out, take care to leave the lemon shell in tact. Chop and mash the lemon pulp and strain into a blender. (You should have about 1 cup of fresh lemon juice, reserve it for the filling.) Freeze the lemon cups in egg cartons, with their lids, at least 1 hour or up to overnight. The frozen shell will prevent the lemon ice from melting too quickly when you serve it.
• To make the ginger syrup: Combine the sugar, water, and ginger in a pot over medium heat. Gently simmer and stir for 2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the ginger fragrant ¿ do not allow the syrup to boil or get dark. Remove from heat, cover, and steep until cool.
• Fill a blender with crushed ice, pour in the reserved cup of fresh lemon juice, add the ginger syrup (remove the big pieces of ginger), and process until slushy. Add the lemon zest and blend again. Freeze for 1 hour to firm it up a bit. Scoop the lemon ginger ice into the prepared lemon cups, garnish with mint leaves, top with the lemon cap, and serve. Serve in egg cups for a great presentation.

LEMON GINGER CAKE WITH LEMON-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For Cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 °F. Butter two 9-inch diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper; butter paper. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla (mixture may look curdled). Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each, beginning with dry ingredients.
• Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until golden brown and tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Transfer pans to racks. Cool 10 minutes. Using small sharp knife, cut around sides of pan to loosen cakes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely. Peel off waxed paper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)
• For Frosting:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter lemon juice, 2 teaspoons lemon peel and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until frosting is smooth.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over top. Place remaining cake layer atop. Using icing spatula, spread remaining frosting over sides and top of cake in decorative swirls. Sprinkle top of cake with remaining 1 teaspoon lemon peel. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.)

LEMON-GINGER POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously butter pan, then flour it, knocking out excess. Chill 10 minutes.
• Finely grind together fresh ginger and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor (mixture will be wet).
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, ground ginger, and salt.
• Stir together milk and vanilla in a small bowl.
• Beat together butter, remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Alternately add flour and milk mixtures to butter and eggs in 4 batches, beginning with flour and mixing at low speed until each batch is just incorporated. Mix in ginger sugar until just combined, then lemon juice.
• Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top, and bake in middle of oven until golden brown on top and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes (about 1 hour for loaf pan). Carefully loosen edges with a knife and immediately invert cake onto a rack to cool completely.
• Make glaze:
• Gradually add confectioners sugar to 1 tablespoon lemon juice, whisking until smooth and adding more juice, 1 drop at a time, if glaze is too thick. Drizzle decoratively over top of cake.

LEMON-GINGER ICE IN LEMON CUPS

Steps:

• To make the lemon cups: Trim a very thin slice off of the lemon bottoms so they'll sit sturdy when standing up. Cut off the top 1/3 of the lemon and reserve to cap the cups. Carefully hollow out each lemon with a teaspoon, turning and digging into the pith so the entire inside of the fruit comes out, take care to leave the lemon shell in tact. Chop and mash the lemon pulp and strain into a blender. (You should have about 1 cup of fresh lemon juice, reserve it for the filling.) Freeze the lemon cups in egg cartons, with their lids, at least 1 hour or up to overnight. The frozen shell will prevent the lemon ice from melting too quickly when you serve it.
• To make the ginger syrup: Combine the sugar, water, and ginger in a pot over medium heat. Gently simmer and stir for 2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the ginger fragrant ¿ do not allow the syrup to boil or get dark. Remove from heat, cover, and steep until cool.
• Fill a blender with crushed ice, pour in the reserved cup of fresh lemon juice, add the ginger syrup (remove the big pieces of ginger), and process until slushy. Add the lemon zest and blend again. Freeze for 1 hour to firm it up a bit. Scoop the lemon ginger ice into the prepared lemon cups, garnish with mint leaves, top with the lemon cap, and serve. Serve in egg cups for a great presentation.