Sarah's Glazed Lemon Cake

After all the business trips, the travelling and the long hours at work, I am just happy to get a few hours of total freedom. I very rarely get days's off - a really free day, with nothing to do and no plans. I just planned on sleeping in today until around lunch time, but my stomach was already grumbling at around 930am. I was planning on going out of the house today, stop by the nearest Starbucks at Broadstone and get a coffee and a slice of their lemon cake. Their lemon cake is actually decent and I normally have it together with my morning coffee if I get the time before work. I was too lazy today though to get dressed and go out of the house, but the craving for the tangy lemon taste lingered. I decided to make my own cake with my own coffee. I still have a lot of Jamaican Ground Roast at home, and I love it. I just don't always have the time to make coffee at home.

I have Sarah's Glazed Lemon Cake on had, I've had it for so long and I had always wanted to try it since I love Lemon Cakes. So I decided to bake and while at it, I have started tinkering my new D40 and the new 17-55 lens. The lens doesn't fly with my apartment's low light and my kitchen, so I switched the lens with my trustee 50mm. Worked as always.

After about 45 minutes, I have that smell of freshly baked cake filling my kitchen. It smelled like lemons! I am hungry, and excited. I glazed the cake, cut it into 9 pieces since it's an 8x8 square cake, made my coffee, sat in a chair and started eating my breakfast. What a wonderful morning.

The Day I Met Sarah

It's snowing in New York! I woke up feeling groggy today because I have only slept for like 3 hours. It was a long night but I think I have enough rest for now. I'm pretty syched, I'm meeting my baking mentor, Sarah Phillips. I'm supposed to meet her at Les Halles at 9:30am and I started preparing really early (like 3 hours ahead of time). I don't want to be late, and I still have to study how to get there. After getting dressed, I'm off to the subways. After getting a feel of how it was riding the subway, it was fairly easily, and convenient. Plus very cheap!

After getting off the sub, I walked (giddily I must say!) towards the restaurant and it was snowing. I loved it. It wasn't that bad really. I got ahead of myself into fearing the cold and the snow in New York. I got at Les Halles at around 9:20am, and Sarah was already there. I can see her from the street. And when I got inside, I got a huge mommy hug from her. She was so warm and accomodating. And she looked prettier and younger in person than in the photos! I'm already in love with her. We talked about almost everything, like I've known her forever. Like a kid talking to her mom about her series of misadventures and bad lucks. :) We talked for hours in the restaurant while I'm having coffee and crepes (which by the way are sooo good!) until we had to go. Her daughter Liz had a doctor's appointment and she had to come with her. So we said our goodbyes and I headed towards the Grand Central. When I got there, I planned on going to Macy's or Bloomingdales for some window shopping. I got sidetracked a bit because I took photos in the station. While I was taking pictures, Sarah texted me saying that they did not have to go to the doctor anymore because the doctor's just gonna call them with the results. She's inviting me back to her house to bake some cakes! Omg! I was so ecstatic! While I was texting her back, she was calling me already. And so I walked back to her apartment.

When I got there, she asked me what do I want to bake, and I wanted a Genoise because that I feel is my worst cake. :) So on we baked with me wearing a cute apron and Sarah wearing her baking clothes. And off to work we went. I finally figured out where my Genoise went wrong, and it's in the folding. I was stirring instead of folding. While baking, I had a wonderful time talking to my "Jewish Mom". Sarah is really a wonderful soul. Very kind and very warm. And I also met Liz her daughter, who looks really beautiful. The smell of the Genoise in the oven filled her aparment and I was so excited to try it out. The Genoise rose really nicely, and the texture was very light. And the taste was so delicious. She made me a tall glass of coffee with the Genoise. Wonderful right? I was in baking heaven. I can't even take good photos because I was so distracted!

It was late in the afternoon already when I left her apartment, and I took half of the Genoise that we made. I walked aimlessly around for about an hour, getting a feel of New York living and then it started snowing again. I went to the nearest subway station and went back to the hotel. I took a nap for a bit, then had a wonderful dinner. Come to think of it, anything with an ice cold coke is wonderful. I bet I won't be sleeping again tonight with 2 cups of coffee and a can of soda.