Shelly's Recipe

LEMON CURD & CREAM LAYER CAKE

Category: Cakes

Cake
2 scant cups cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Lemon Curd
1 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tsp finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 cup sugar
6 large eggs
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced into small pieces

Frosting
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 batch of Lemon Curd (above), chilled

Make Lemon Curd: Combine all lemon curd ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until butter melts and curd thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 6 minutes). Once thickened, remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap pushed against the surface and chill for at least 1 hour, up to 1 week.

Make Cake Layers: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans with baking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine milk and lemon juice (mixture may curdle – it’s OK).

Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one a time, beating after each to incorporate. Beat in vanilla extract. Add half flour mixture , then half milk mixture beating on low after each until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour and milk mixture.

Divide batter evenly between prepared caked pans, smoothing tops gently with a spatula. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then flip out onto racks to cool completely.

Make Frosting: Using the whisk attachment on an electric mixer, beat cream and confectioners sugar to stiff peaks. Working with half the lemon curd (reserving the rest for filling the cake), fold a few spoonfuls of whipped cream into the curd to lighten it, then fold in remaining whipped cream.

Assemble Cake: Place one cake layer, top side up, on a cake plate. Spread with a thin layer of frosting then the reserved half of lemon curd. Top with other cake layer, top side down. Cover top and sides with remaining frosting.

If assembling the cake ahead of time, store in refrigerator in cake keeper or loosely covered plastic wrap (with toothpicks to hold away from frosting). Set at room temperature 30 minutes before serving, or serve straight from fridge.

NOTE: The cake is best still cold from the fridge, but the original recipe calls for letting it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.)