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As demonstrated by Jerri Hansen, this recipe is one of Ina Garten's sensations. The cake is dense in texture but surprisingly light tasting. The lemon syrup poured over the cakes is the secret to the burst of fresh lemon flavor. With the addition of glaze poured over the top, it is absolutely delicious!
Lemon CakeIngredients:
For the glaze:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.
Cream the butter and 2 cups of sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, then stir in the lemon zest.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a glass measuring cup, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Poor over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.
Adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Parties
The Concierge Team at the Cottages at Cape Kiwanda have been busy baking up more goodies. Here is their latest decadant creation, as demonstrated by Jerri Hansen.
Truffle Molten Lava CakeTruffle Center
Cakes
Truffle Center (Ganach):
Heat heavy cream to a boil and pour over chopped chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes.
Whisk in Chambord until smooth. Pour onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 10 - 15 minutes or refrigerate for 30 minutes until set.
Once set, portion ganache into twelve 1-ounce portions (about 1 heaping tablespoon). Round the ganache into balls, using your hands. Freeze until cakes are ready.
Cakes:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Crease a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with butter.
Sift flour and cocoa powder together and set aside. Melt the chocolate with the butter over a double boiler.
Place the eggs, yolks, sugar and vanilla pulp into a bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is lightly frothy. Add the melted chocolate mixture at medium speed and mix until combined. Continue to mix at low speed, adding the sifted ingredients until smooth.
Portion into the prepared muffin pan evenly. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove pan and place one truffle into the center of each cake about push about halfway down. Return pan to oven and bake for 15 - 17 minutes. Check for doneness in cake, not truffle center.
Allow to cool slightly before unmolding.
The Cottages at Cape Kiwanda are excited to introduce their new esthetician, Theresa Lussier. Theresa brings a wealth of information and embodies the Cottages commitment to excellence. Her training took place in Portland at the Beau Monde Academy and she is fully licensed in skin, nails and hair.
Theresa grew up in the area and since graduating has been practicing her craft here on the coast for the last two years. She prides herself on utilizing only pure, natural products. In our Cottage spa, Theresa provides a soothing environment for her clients, helping them to find relaxation and balance for both body and mind.
You are invited to pamper yourself!
Check out the new spa menu and contact the Concierge team to schedule an appointment, 866.571.0605
By Amy Mitchem, Concierge at The Cottages at Cape Kiwanda
In a continuing effort to be more ECO friendly, The Cottages at Cape Kiwanda have added another way to encourage owners and guests to help be more "green". We now have specific recycling bags in each Cottage for easy transfer of recyclables to the larger recycling bins in the maintenance shed. It is our greatest hope to cut down on some of the garbage being thrown away and promote a greener lifestyle at The Cottages.
Speaking of the environment, don your beach attire and join thousands of volunteers picking up trash and winter litter up and down the Oregon Coast on March 31st for the SOLV Spring Beach Clean-Up. If you're in Pacific City, your little beach town, meet at the Cape Kiwanda parking lot at 10am with your reusable water bottle and reusable bag or bucket (or just come and use one of the bags provided). The more, the merrier!
Your help in protecting the health of our spectacular ocean, beaches and wildlife is greatly appreciated!
Do you think the only birds you will see at the beach are gulls? Not so. Horned Grebe, Bufflehead, Surf Scoter, Black Oystercatcher, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Great Blue Heron, and Bald Eagle are all common to our area. The upcoming 9th Annual Birding and Blues Festival, where rhythms of nature meet rhythms of the blues, will give you several opportunities to catch a glimpse of these birds and a lot more!
Come celebrate nature with your head, heart, and soul in Pacific City April 13, 14, & 15. Once again headquartered at the Kiawanda Community Center on Cape Kiwanda Drive, the festival will offer three days of guided field trips, indoor seminars and workshops, kayak trips, great regional blues bands, and the feature film "The Big Year!"
This year's featured speaker will be photographer Terry Steele. A Northwest Oregon resident, Terry has been sharing his passion for the creatures of nature for over 20 years. His presentation will focus on birds found from the Oregon Coast to the Gulf Coast.
Pacific City has some of Oregon's most spectacular estuaries, rivers, bays and ocean shores. Be introduced to the abundant wildlife in Oregon's Three-Cape region. In the evenings, relax, feast, tap your feet, dance, and celebrate life.
To see the full schedule of events, and to download a PDF of the registration form, visit BirdingAndBlues.com You can also follow the Birding and Blues Festival on Facebook.
Inspired by the love and connection I feel for the ocean, 'Oceana Scentuals' is an all natural bath and body product line, created and made in the beautiful village of Pacific City, Oregon.
I am dedicated to having all of my products be rich in antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and essential oils. You will not find chemicals, synthetic fragrances, or dyes in the 'Oceana' line.
After a year of research, finding the best quality ingredients, mixing, re-mixing, and with the devotion of family and friends who tested my products, then gave honest feedback, 'Oceana Scentuals' was launched. You can now find these bath and body essentials sold exclusively at the Inn at Cape Kiwanda and Cottages at Cape Kiwanda here in Pacific City.
Next time you venture to the beach, come by and explore Oceana natural bath and body products. You will find a variety of refreshing bath salts, sea kelp mineral soak, lotions that are lightly scented but rich with essential oils and vitamins, luxurious cremes, body butters, body scrubs, along with 'Ocean Ambiance' spa gift baskets to delight you, your loved ones, and friends.
Let the love of the Ocean inspire you.
~ Debbee McKee
Located just off Highway 101, relaxed and uncomplicated Pacific City, Oregon, is the perfect memory-making beach vacation destination! Just a short 2-hour drive from Portland or 1.5-hour drive from Salem, what are you waiting for?!? Come to Pacific City, your little beach town!
Here are five AWESOME reasons to visit this March.
WHALE WEEK! What better reason to come to the beach than to witness magnificent Grays returning to Alaska waters with their young?! This will be the baby's first journey and the one and only time they receive guidance or instruction on how to make this long trek. These whales should come very close to shore since they are teaching the young how to use the shore and the waves to navigate. There will be official whale watching volunteers at Cape Kiwanda to help you spot these amazing creatures. Visit WhaleSpoken.org for more information.
Sandcastles, Sandcastles, Sandcastles...have you ever seen the huge sandcastles that you are tempted to stay the night in yourself? The triumph of any Spring Breaker is to build the best. Create an extravagant homestead for local sea life, at least until the next tide. Snap a photo and we'll host a Facebook contest for the best sandcastle in the west! Win a $40 gift card to Pelican Pub & Brewery! Watch for contest details on our Facebook page, Pacific City, your little beach town.
Most people say the best thing to do at the beach is, well, GO TO THE BEACH! Forget the shops, the food, the traffic, and meander down an uncomplicated shoreline filled with some of the coast's most amazing tide pools. Cape Kiwanda is home to many jellyfish, clams, mussels, anemones, hermit crabs, starfish, sea urchins, even giant sunflower sea stars...there's even a rumor of a bed of sand dollars and an entire shore dedicated to sea lions.
The BIG YEAR! This term refers to birds in most cases, but this year we are thinking FISH, as we usually are thinking fish here in Pacific City! Don't miss the season; hang on the river with the locals that are dedicated to spending the wee hours of the morning fishing their hearts out on the banks of the Big Nestucca. Show these men how you catch steelhead back home! If you have a boat, you might as well bring it along and see the rare backside of Haystack Rock while crabbing or catching some lingcod or sea bass! YUMM!
Don't think that because the water's cold that people won't be in it. Because we will. It doesn't matter what month it is, people are out there SURFING, KAYAKING, PADDLE BOARDING, AND MORE! Both Moment Surf Co. and Kiwanda Surf Company have almost every type of water activity available to a first timer, or someone who simply couldn't fit their family's five surfboards on the plane. Give Moment a call ahead and they can have your gear ready to pack on your car for you, maybe even walk you down to the beach for a quick surf lesson for the family.
The Beer Cheese Fondue was a big hit during "Cooking with your Concierge". Wow guests at your next event with the recipe below.
Beer Cheese FondueIngredients:
For Dipping: Be creative and have fun! We selected the following...
Directions:
Combine cheeses in a bowl with flour. Add beer to a heavy bottomed pot and bring up to a bubble over medium heat. Reduce the heat to simmer and add cheese in handfuls. Stir constantly, melting the cheese in batches. Stir in a figure-eight pattern with wooden spoon. When the cheese has been incorporated fully, stir in the mustard, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Transfer fondue to warm fondue pot.
The Cottages at Cape Kiwanda have been hosting several evening events for Cottage owners and guests of the Inn at Cape Kiwanda, Shorepine Vacation Rentals, Stimulus Espresso Cafe, and the Pelican Pub & Brewery. Locals and folks visiting your little beach town are also welcome to stop by to check out the beautiful Cottages. It's a very interesting way to find out where people are from and what brought them to Pacific City. One thing is certain - they are having an excellent time!
Please feel free to drop by daily from 4pm to 6pm to see what's going on. Here's what we have planned:
Monday: Baking with your Concierge
Tuesday: Pelican beer tasting
Wednesday: Wine tasting with Twist Wine Co.
Thursday: Cooking with your Concierge
Friday: Pelican beer tasting
Saturday: Coastal Cooking with Mary
Sunday: Wine tasting with Twist Wine Co.
A recent Monday 'Baking with your Concierge' created a delicious coffee cake and we thought it would be fun to share the recipe as demonstrated by Jerri Hansen & Shae Lambert.
Sour Cream Coffee CakeCoffee Cake
Streusel
Glaze
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10-inch tube pan with pan spray.
For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix until it forms a crumble. Stir in the walnuts, if desired, and pour into a separate bowl.
In the same bowl for the cake, cream the butter and sugar for 4 -5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed. Spoon half the batter into the tube pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan, spread it out gently and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate. Whisk the confectioners' sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. Drizzle over the cake with a spoon.
-Adapted from Ina Carten, Barefoot Contessa
Enjoy a fun week in Pacific City during the Oregon State Parks' sponsored whale watching week which officially begins December 26, 2011.
The southward migration of the gray whales goes on for these 7 days and continues into mid-January. The slower whales can be seen as late as the last weeks in January; it’s usually moms and babies (who are born in January 2011) that bring up the rear of the crowd. Gray whales travel in smaller groups of two and three and make the trek of about 6,000 miles to warm waters off of Mexico (with no food) at the speed of 3 to 6 miles per hour.
The north tip of Cape Kiwanda is one of 24 state sponsored whale watching sites and volunteers will be at Cape Kiwanda every day helping locals and visitors alike spotting these magnificent animals. Whales use the shoreline and sounds of surf to navigate from the coast at Cape Lookout right down to Haystack Rock in Pacific City, so expecting to see them just a mile off shore is possible.
Gray whales are best spotted on clear sunny days from 10am-1pm; try to make sure that the morning light is behind you. Watch for spouts in the water, there is an entry buoy in a great location at Cape Kiwanda, looking at that buoy normally shows you some activity and you may be able to spot several at one time. Who knows you may see some backs or flukes popping out of the water or even a jumper! At Cape Kiwanda you can see up to 30 whales per day and visitors can number up to 100-120 on a nice day!!
Don’t miss this, they won’t be back again until springtime when they migrate northward to waters off of Alaska. Please see www.whalespoken.org for additional details.
