Lemon Cake

Lemon Cake


What a fantastic way to top off our intimate and beautiful Christmas dinner.  This delicious cake is worth all the effort.  Fine Cooking (Holiday Baking Issue) is quickly becoming one of my favorite magazines for great sweet treats.

Making lemon curd from scratch can be tricky, but don’t let it intimidate you; it is worth mastering. Prepared canned lemon curd might tempt you but will it be as freshly tart and sweet as the one you make yourself? NO! So at least give the home made version a try.

This cake takes a bit of time, but can be made ahead and your guests will feel really special that you went to all that extra trouble–just for them! Enjoy~

What you will need…

For the Cake:

2-1/2 Cups cake flour

2-3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1-3/4 Cups sugar

2 Tbs. lightly packed grated lemon zest

12 Tbs. unsalted butter at room temperature

1 Cup whole milk, at room temperature

5 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

For the Filling (Lemon Curd):

1/2 Cup unsalted butter

3/4 Cup sugar

1/2 Cup fresh lemon juice

3 Tbs. light packed grated lemon zest

Pinch of salt

6 large egg yolks

What to do to make the lemon curd: Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Rmove the pan from the heat and whisk in the sugar, lemon juice, zest, and salt.  Whisk in the yolks until smooth.  Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook, whisking  constantly, until the mixture thickens, 5-6 minutes.*  To check if the curd is thick enough, dip a wooden spoon into it and draw your finger across the back of the spoon; your finger should leave a path.  Don’t let the mixture boil.  Immediately force the curd through a sieve into a bowl, using a rubber spatula.  Let cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.

What to do to make the cake:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour two 8×2 round cake pans.  Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl.  Pulse 1/4 cup of the sugar with the zest in the food processor until well combined.

In large bowl, beat the butter and lemon sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 1-1/2 minutes).  Add the remaining 1-1/2 cups sugar and beat until smooth (about 1-1/2 minutes).  Beat in a quarter of the milk in three batches, scraping bowl with a rubber spatula; beat just until blended.

In another large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer (with clean beaters**) on medium speed just until foamy.  Add the cream of tartar, increase speed to medium high, and beat just until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted.  Add a quarter of the whites to the cake batter and and gently fold them in with a whisk or a rubber spatula; continue to gently fold in the whites, quarter at a time, being careful not to deflate the mixture.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Smooth the tops with the spatula. Bake until done (about 35-40 minutes).  Let cool in pans on a rack for 10 minutes.  Invert the cakes onto rack, flip them right side up and cool completely.

Cut each cake in half horizontally.  Put one of the cake layers on serving plate, spread generous 1/3 cup chilled lemon curd on top of the cake layer. Do not spread the lemon curd all the way to the edges.  Lay another cake layer, spread it with another generous 1/3 cup lemon curd, and repeat with the third layer using the last 1/3 cup of lemon curd.  Top with forth cake layer.

Make the frosting:

In medium bowl, beat the butter and lemon zest with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add the powdered sugar in batches and beat until light and fluffy.  Add the lemon juice and beat for 1 minute.

Frost the Cake:

Spread thin layer of frosting on the cake, filling in any gaps as you go. Chill until the frosting firms a bit, about 1/2 hour.  Spread the remaining frosting decoratively over the top and sides of the cake.  Scatter with bits of lemon zest.

* If you don’t feel like it is thickening after 5 minutes, turn the heat up slightly, your stove top might not be hot enough.

**If you are using the same beaters that you used for the egg yolks, your egg whites will not form peaks.