Ahh summer. I love summer. I also love fall, more than summer, because the clothes are cuter. But I’m a summer baby born the end of July, so summer will always be my jam.

Speaking of jam, I got all these cherries from Northwest Cherry Growers. And I didn’t want to make ANOTHER jam. I always make jam. And if I’m being honest, I did make jam but I didn’t post it- I only posted the “new-ish” recipes. Shhh. Anyway I didn’t want to make the same ol, same ol. So I did that BBQ sauce which I’m told is the bees knees, and I made a dessert topping. Like a sundae topping.

But on cake. Cause I can’t have ice cream unless it’s lactose free or I take Lactaid pills first. I know. It’s a major summer buzzkill.

And I had the hankering for cake the other day randomly so I said, self, let’s make a cake. And the baby napped for two hours straight allowing me to do this, which is unprecedented especially with his current teething sitch.

And I decided on a bundt cake so I didn’t have to frost anything. Mom life. Buttttttttt I had all these cherries left and I was like *lightbulb.* Instead of frosting it, why not just make a dessert topping and use that? And I’ll have lots more to use later!

This topping can go on anything, not just lemon cake. But thats what I did here, so thats what I’m gonna give you.

CHERRY DESSERT TOPPING

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh pitted cherries, chopped in a mix of halves and fourths
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Place cherries, lemon juice, water and sugar in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until thickened but NOT jam like (this depends on the pan- in my cast iron they cook quicker), stirring occasionally so they don’t stick. Remove from heat.
3. Wait 1 minute, then spoon into clean jars for storage. Will keep for around a week or so.

This sauce is also very simple and great on ice cream or yogurt. Or pound cake. Or whatever. I don’t know, man. Do your thing.

Its pretty, isn’t it?

Oh. You want that cake recipe too?

BASIC LEMON BUNDT (courtesy of Martha)

Ingredients:

• cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest and 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, lemon zest, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; mix in lemon juice.
3. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until incorporated (do not overmix). Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Firmly tap pan on a work surface to level batter.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean; 55 to 60 minutes (if cake browns too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil). Let cake cool in pan 30 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. (To store, wrap cake in plastic and keep at room temperature up to 3 days.) Once cooled to room temperature, sift confectioners sugar over the top. Serve with or without cherry topping.

Suggestions for use: Use it to top ice cream, yogurt, frozen yogurt, pound cake, lemon cake, pistachio or almond cake. Eat it right out of the jar. Swirl it into a glass of lemonade.

Soundtrack: SILENCE!

Sources & credits: Rainbow tea towel; IKEA, jar by Quattro Stagioni®.