March 11, 2016

LADY BIRD'S LEMON CAKE...GRACIOUS TEXAS LIVING




We are all busy getting our homes
ready for Easter Day.
Today, I am joining the Bluebonnet Blog Hop
to take a sneak peek into Texas Blogger homes
and see all of this lovely spring inspiration.


The very first thing that comes to mind
when you say 
"Spring in Texas" are all the lovely
wildflowers that spring forth in March and April.
We can all be forever grateful to our beautiful
Lady Bird Johnson, Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson,
for her dedication to the highway beautification and the arts project,
which is her stunning legacy.
The Texas fields and ranch lands that are blanketed 
with bluebonnets, Indian Paint Brush and Longhorns
are part of what  makes Texas such a beautiful state.


Being a faithful fan of Mrs. Johnson,
I added this book to my library last year.
It is a daily journal of the Johnson's lives
during the White House years.
It is essentially the story of her life as a wife and mother..
from the details of moving her family from their private home,
The Elms, to the White House and
then back home to the LBJ ranch.

As spring days come,
I love making our home into a  spring retreat..
a place of seasonal celebration.


I love the colors of
“Pistachio”
for spring......


The finishing effect on the patio......


My collectible Texas- themed coffee mugs
can serve up something beautiful other than morning coffee......


Oh, the yellow rose of Texas......


Even an Aggie can love a Longhorn......


Stylin' it for spring......


How about adding a new/used Texas cookbook
to your collection!
I have loved Texas Ties ,
which is a Junior League cookbbok from North Harris County.
These are tried and true heirloom recipes
from some of the best cooks and bakers in Texas!


Once you have selected your favorites
for your Easter dinner buffet,
have each place setting reflect the beauty of spring.

This beautiful Lemon Cake will be the star of your
southern sideboard!

Oh.....Ms. Lady Bird....you out did yourself on this one!
Lemon Drizzle and Delight.......


LADY BIRD JOHNSON’S LEMON CAKE
3/4 Cup Softened Butter
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
8 Egg Yolks
2 1/2 Cups Flour
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 t. lemon juice
1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Rind



Preheat your oven to 325° F.  Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.  In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until light and lemon colored.  Blend into the creamed mixture.  Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Resift 3 times.  Add the sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk.  Beat the batter thoroughly after each addition.  Add the vanilla extract, lemon rind and lemon juice.  Beat for 2 minutes.  Bake in a greased Bundt pan in the oven for 1 hour or until the cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and cool 19 minutes before inverting on serving platter.

LEMON GLAZE
2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 T. fresh lemon juice
1-2 t. buttermilk
Zest of one fresh lemon





Today is our 
Bluebonnet Blog Hop!
It's springtime in the great state of Texas Y'all!
I hope you enjoyed Estelle's post today...
click on the link below for more
spring inspiration! 




72 comments:

  1. I much enjoyed your post! Lady Bird Johnson did much for our country and also for our state and my home town of Austin. We are all fortunate she cared so about nature! I think I need to make here lemon cake. Thanks for the recipe!

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    1. Hi Sarah! I hope you enjoy our First Lady's lemon cake! She was a true blessing. I thank you for visiting my blog today!

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  2. Oh my that cake looks delicious. We got to go to the LBJ ranch a few years ago and I enjoyed it so much. And yes the wildflowers make me think of Ladybird too. She was ahead of her time!

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    1. I think you were so fortunate to visit the LBJ ranch! It's on my wish list for spring or summer! I so appreciate your visit today!

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  3. Such a wonderful post and yes, we have Lady Bird to thank for our wildflowers. Love that cake and thanks for sharing the recipe. The book looks to be a great addition to any library. Texas Ties looks like a interesting cookbook too. Love your plates. So pretty. Great color pistachio green!!
    Happy Springtime!

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    1. Thank you, Celeste, for such sweet comments! I love that you took time to visit today! Hugs!

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  4. Oh what a delicious looking Lemon Cake! I love lemon!!!!! :-)

    Yes, oh yes! What a wonderful thing Lady Bird did! Promoting the sowing of wild flowers, in TX. Wish it was a more wide spread happening. Wild flowers! Wonderful!

    Happy Spring hugs,
    Tessa

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    1. She certainly did leave us a ongoing gift didn't she Tessa! Wishing you a lovely weekend dear girl!

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  5. Beautiful flowers! I love those coffee mugs!! Do you mind sharing where you found them? The cake looks divine and I love anything lemon so will have to try it. LBJ doesn't have the best reputation but Lady Bird left a positive legacy. I'm so grateful she cared so much about our great state and the love of nature! We are so blessed to have all the wildflowers and enjoy their beauty every spring.

    xo
    Pat

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    1. Thank you for taking time to visit today Pat! It's been such a wonderful time visiting all the lovely shared ideas of spring in Texas! Big hugs and feel better soon!

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  6. P.S. I love Texas cookbooks and have several. I know your Texas Ties is outstanding! The Jr League books from different areas share superb recipes.

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    1. If you don't have the Texas Blue Denim cookbook you should find one

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  7. Hi Estelle,
    Oh my how I love Lady Bird and all the beauty that she brought to our state, what a great first lady! Her Lemon Cake looks fantastic and I can't wait to try the recipe. Your post makes me proud to be a native daughter of Texas! It is so much fun sharing the Bluebonnet Hop with you!
    Happy Spring!
    Miz Helen

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    1. I know you will enjoy the recipe Helen! Love having you visit today! Have a great weekend!

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  8. Oh that lemon cake looks SO good! I'd pair with a cup of tea in that fabulous long horn mug. Happy Spring!

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    1. Wishing you a lovely spring season Laura. I appreciate your visit today!

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  9. Oh my, how I would love a slice of your Lemon Cake! It looks so scrumptious and I always think of lemon as a Springtime flavor. I have a couple Texas cookbooks and I so enjoy them. Thanks for sharing Lady Bird's recipe with us at our Texas Blog Hop.

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  10. Pinning the lemon cake recipe. It looks delicious!

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    1. Hi Eilis! Enjoy the recipe and thank you for stopping by today!

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  11. that looks so good! I'm going to have to make one! Lady Bird was one classy lady!
    And yes, Aggies can like longhorns too! :o)
    hugs,
    Cecilia

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    1. Hi Cecilia. Yes...you should try her recipe...it's well known and enjoyed by so many! Happy spring!

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  12. Oh my! That Lemon Cake looks so luscious and my mouth is watering just thinking about a slice. I love your tribute to flowers and that wonderful quote from Lady Bird Johnson--one I will keep always.

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    1. Thank you dearest Susan....for stopping by for a visit today!

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  13. I do believe that we are all loving this Lemon Cake! I just made a lemon Ice Box Pie that has me craving more fresh lemon desserts!
    You know, my husband and I were just talking about Lady Bird and the impact she had on preserving our beautiful Texas Wildflowers. I am so thankful for her!
    I can see that you are a gardener at heart too:)
    Happy Spring!
    Jemma

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    1. Hi Jemma! Wishing you a lovely spring season and Easter day! Thank you for visiting today!

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  14. HI Betsy! What a lovely post! That cake looks so delicious too. We've been to the Johnson's place on the Perdernales River. She was a great lady.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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    1. Have you really Shelia....we simply must go! I am thrilled for your visit today! Have a wonderful weekend and am glad to read you are on the mend! Hugs!

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  15. Omygoodness...your post is one of the prettiest I've seen in a long long time...such eye candy and such a treat...I love blogs that go the extra mile to present something so beautiful as yours.
    That cake is going to be my star dessert at my bunco party in April...it is beautiful and looks sooo tasty...I loved Lady Bird, too, and her project with flowers will live on forever..

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    1. Oh dear BJ...this makes my day to read such kind comments from you! I so hope y'all enjoy Lady Bird's recipe! Big hugs for being so very sweet!

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  16. Oh that cake looks GOOD--thank you for sharing the recipe! Blessings, Cecilia

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    1. Hi Cecilia! Thank you for stopping by today! Hope you enjoy the recipe!

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  17. Betsy,

    I love the beautiful wildflowers! What a forward thinking gift Lady Bird gave to our nation!

    And Lemon cake? I love lemon. I'll have to give this a try!

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    1. Hi Deanna! I know you will enjoy her lemon cake! Have a wonderful weekend!

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  18. Love all your photos. I miss Lady Bird. She's was a strong woman. The cake looks so beautiful and tasty. Blessings, xoxo,Susie

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    1. She was a wonderful first lady wasn't she? I love having you visit Susie! Wishing you a lovely weekend! Blessings to you also!

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  19. Betsy, everything is so beautiful in this post. Beginning with your sweet bunnies and ending with Lady Bird's cake! I am forever grateful to her and her love of wildflowers that has affected every state in the union! Have a great weekend! ♥

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    1. You are so kind Martha Ellen! I am ever so happy you enjoyed this post! Hope you try the cake....it's delish! Have a beautiful weekend love!

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  20. Such beauty and poetry here! I love every single moment I spent visiting you this afternoon and only wish you had MORE! I drag my feet as I come near the end of your posts!
    Happy Spring!

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    1. You, Miss Linda are such a blessing to so many of us! I thank you for stopping by today in your busy life! Happy spring darling girl! I look forward to more adventures in Linda's Life Journal...Hugs and blessings to you and all your family!

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  21. Hello Dear, Loved the post and the lemon cake looks amazing!
    I hope you have a great weekend!
    Texas...
    Lovely land and people xoxo
    Hugs, Roxy

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    1. Hi Roxy! Hope you enjoyed all the spring inspiration that these bloggers offered today! Thank you as always for visiting me! Wishing you a beautiful spring season! Hugs!!

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  22. What a beautiful post you just wrote for us! That lemon cake looks amazing. Lemon-flavoured desserts and daffodils say spring to me! -Jenn

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    1. Good Morning Jenn! Thank you and I am so glad you enjoyed this post! Wishing you a lovely spring and I so appreciate your visit today!

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  23. Each of your photos is gorgeous and I am craving that cake now!

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  24. Oh wow, this cake looks amazing! My son loves anything lemon, he even asked for lemon cake for his birthday! I would love for you to stop by and link up this, or any of your recipes, at our new party where we make the features! Thanks for sharing and hope to see you there! http://uncookiecutter.com/2016/04/chicken-taquitos-link-make-9/

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  25. Do you add the glaze when the cake is hot or wait until it cools? Thanks

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  26. Did I miss how to make the glaze? I only saw the ingredients for it. Does it need to be cooked? whisked?

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  27. I must, absolutely MUST make this lemon cake!!! Is the cake in the photograph inverted? Any cake I have ever made with my Bundt pan is smooth and rounded on top and fully covered with a browned crust, but this one appears to be split and the tender insides are exposed. This is exactly how I want mine to turn out. How was this accomplished? Thanks!

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    1. I think you're right. The "smooth" top appears to be on the bottom. I like the exposed insides, too.

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  28. Looks sooo good! I shared a link to your blogpost on FB, too. Have a great day! ~ Yaeli

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  29. I am baking this cake as we speak! Thank you for a great recipe!

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  30. Looks wonderful and I want to try it. Just a question about your recipe. Traditionally a lower case "t" means teaspoon and an uppercase "T" means Tablespoon. In your recipe you have 2 teas. lemon juice and 1 teas. lemon zest. Is this correct? It seems like it should be 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon zest.

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    1. Hi Sue...this recipe is the original Lady Bird Johnson recipe. The ingredients are just as she published them. If you wish to increase the lemon juice and zest, I am sure that would turn out beautifully. Best of luck and hope you love her cake.

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  31. I want to make this tomorrow (not sure if you will see this to comment but can you clarify for me on the recipe. Sometimes you soell out teaspoon and then sometimes there is a small t and sometimes there is a capitol T and I am not sure the t vs T is tablespoons or teaspoons throughout the cake and frosting glaze? Can you please clarify for me?
    Thank you so much, Carrie
    ladibutterfly77@icloud.com

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    1. Hello Carrie! In a recipe, a lower case t. indicates "teaspoon." An upper case T. indicates "Tablespoon." I hope this clarifies your questions. Hope you enjoy her recipe!

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  32. Question - There was no instructions for the lemon glaze. Do you just put it on the cake immediately after waiting the 19 minutes and inverting on a plate?

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    1. Hi Teresa! The glaze recipe is listed right after the baking instructions.

      LEMON GLAZE
      2 cups powdered sugar
      1-2 T. fresh lemon juice
      1-2 t. buttermilk
      Zest of one fresh lemon

      I haven't tried it yet, but I may for the holidays!

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    2. Hi Teresa. I always pour the glaze over the warm cake right after you have inverted your cake on the serving platter. The cake is always best when served slightly warm with the warm glaze poured over the top. Hope you enjoy!

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  33. This Lemon cake sounds and looks deliscious! I have to compliment you on a beautiful page.

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    1. Why thank you L. Starr. So happy to have you visit!

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  34. This looks great! My nephew wants this for the New Year, i see a lot of comments that the cake looks scrumptious but has anyone tried to make it and if so, are the results great as far as taste, texture and moistness??

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    1. Any recipe I feature on Estelle's has been prepared and served to my family. My purpose is to only publish the best recipes so that everyone can enjoy cooking and baking and become the best cook they can be! Hope you enjoy Lady Bird's cake! Happy New Year!

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  35. this cake is easy to make and sooooo good you should make it you won't regret it

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  36. Is it really necessary to sift the flour 4 times? Just wondering. Cake looks beautiful. Thanks for your answer.

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    1. Hi Brenda...sifting the flour makes for a softer texture....I would recommend following the instructions just as Lady Bird wrote her recipe!

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  37. This is awesome and so detailed travel guide for sure! Thanks for taking the time to put this together! I can’t wait to visit!

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  38. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post with us. The lemon cake looks incredibly delicious. It looks like something I want to make for the office. Have a fantastic rest of your day and keep up the posts.
    World of Animals

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  39. Such a beautiful post that included the recipe for her luscious lemon cake!! I have a question though before I make it.. the lemon zest in the Glaze ingredients.. is it combined with the other ingredients, or used to garnish the top after Glazing? Thank you. Looking forward to making it soon.

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    1. I added the lemon zest to the glaze dixiegrl..exactly as the recipe..hope you enjoy!

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    2. Thank you for your prompt reply. Sounds like the perfect birthday cake for myself!

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I so love receiving your thoughts and comments. I also hope you found something that made you smile.