Family Dinner

Over the weekend, I was home with my family, and two of my non-related family members came over for dinner. We split the meal so they were bringing the veggie (a delicious salad, as always), my mom did the main course (steaks--her specialty), and I made the side dish (roasted potatoes with olive oil, chili powder, fresh rosemary and salt and pepper) and dessert. The dessert turned out pretty well, so I thought I'd share it with you. I am going to make some sort of apple variation of it next week after I go apple picking, but the original was bright, rich and delicious.

Lemon Raspberry Pound Cake
1 10-oz bag frozen raspberries, defrosted (no sugar added, if possible)
3 tbls Amaretto liquor (like Disaronno)
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups sugar (2 cups if the raspberries have added sugar)
6 eggs
3 cups cake flour

Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees and butter and flour 2 loaf pans. Combine the raspberries, amaretto, lemon zest and vanilla in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together room temperature cream cheese and butter with your hand-mixer (they will not combine easily if they are cold) and whip for about 2 minutes. Add the sugar a bit at a time while continuing to cream the ingredients. When they are light and fluffy, add the eggs 2 at a time and continue to beat. When all the eggs are fully combined and fluffy, add the flour 1 cup at a time and stir manually until just combined. Pour in the raspberry mixture and swirl into the batter, making sure it runs through the batter, but isn't completely mixed in. Pour into the prepared loaf pans (half in each) and bake for an hour and a half (check at 1 hour). To make it extra special, before you serve it, turn the loaf upside down on your serving plate, and pour some of the cream cheese frosting from the "Birthday Cake to the Extreme" and allow it to come down the sides a bit. Slice and serve.

Happy eating!