Sunday Brunch-and a Lemon Blackberry Cake

Today we had a family brunch at our house.  Although we've done meals at our house before and now tackle Thanksgiving every year, there is something about making a new meal with new recipes that's always a tiny bit stressful.

On the menu:

Seafood Quiche

Green Salad with Pear and Walnuts

Grilled Chicken

Rolls

Lemon Blackberry Cake

Here is what the Quiche looked like.

 

It had shrimp, scallops, crab, and lobster. It was the first time I've ever made a quiche (maybe not the best idea when it was one of the main dishes). It turned out O.K.- the texture of the egg was a bit too dense and I actually cracked the pie crust a little so some egg ran out between the pie plate and the crust.  But it tasted good. (Anything with that much seafood in it was bound tot taste good I guess!) It's definitely one I'll make again and keep trying to perfect.

And the pretty salad my husband made.

The other new recipe was the Lemon Blackberry Cake.

I started with a boxed lemon cake mix. I made what should have been two tiers (in a round cake pan) into four thinner layers. The only other changes I made to the directions on the box was to substitute apple sauce instead of oil and add the zest from one lemon. I cooked it at the temperature specified on the box but for less time (about 14 minutes).

Once each layer was cooled I squeezed a little lemon juice on the bottom layer and spread blackberry jam over the top. I did the same lemon juice and jam for the next layer, and the layer after. 

Then I placed the fourth layer on top...

and frosted the entire thing with a lemon frosting (store bought, and a pretty yellow color). 

If I hadn't run out of time I would've decorated the top with a bit of lemon peel cut into a curl and a few fresh blackberries. It was yummy, even if it was sans decoration.

Here is what it looked like on the inside.

I was also really excited about spring-efying the napkins, with a little rubber stamping but that didn't make it to the table either. Best laid plans and all...but I got scatterbrained once I start running late.

These are just paper napkins stamped with fun spring motifs and waterproof ink so it doesn't run when if the napkin gets wet.

(By the way- these napkins are really teal- they look very green in these pictures.)