Lemon Cake
"The perfect lemon cake. Not to sweet, light icing, and strong lemon flavor. I like to go light on the frosting, so this is the perfect amount for me, but if you like more frosting on your cake, you could double it. This recipe just covered a 9-inch, triple layer cake"
Ingredients
- FOR LEMON SYRUP
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- FOR CAKE
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- Lemon Curd:
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- FOR LEMON ITALIAN BUTTERCREAM
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Nutritional
- Serving Size: 1 (507.9 g)
- Calories 1244.3
- Total Fat - 69.2 g
- Saturated Fat - 30.9 g
- Cholesterol - 1824.1 mg
- Sodium - 15452.7 mg
- Total Carbohydrate - 113.3 g
- Dietary Fiber - 2.4 g
- Sugars - 62.7 g
- Protein - 42.1 g
- Calcium - 392.2 mg
- Iron - 7.2 mg
- Vitamin C - 17.6 mg
- Thiamin - 0.5 mg
Step by Step Method
Lemon Syrup:
Step 1
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat, stirring constantly, until well combined and sugar is completely dissolved
Step 2
Set aside to cool completely
Cake:
Step 3
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 4
Butter and flour three 8 or 9 inch round pans.
Step 5
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
Step 6
Mix fresh lemon juice and milk in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 7
Pulse sugar and zest of a lemon in a food processor until zest is all minced in.
Step 8
Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer using a paddle attachment.
Step 9
Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time mixing until incorporated before adding the next. Make sure you scrape the bowl down.
Step 10
Add flour and milk mixtures to the butter in 3 alternating batches.
Step 11
Divide batter evenly between pans and smooth (use baking strips to keep levels even and prevent doming)
Step 12
Bake 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean
Step 13
Once done, let cakes cool completely
Step 14
Once cake is cooled, level cakes if needed, brush top with cooled lemon syrup, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour, or overnight
Lemon Curd:
Step 15
Pulse sugar and zest of a lemon in a food processor until zest is all minced in.
Step 16
Place egg yolks into a pot and beat lightly with a wire whisk.
Step 17
Whisk in the sugar and mix until lighter in color.
Step 18
Stir in lemon juice gradually.
Step 19
Heat on low, while stirring constantly with a wire whisk until mixture thickens, just starts to bubble and coats back of wooden spoon.
Step 20
Remove pot from heat, then add the cold, cubed butter and mix until melted.
Step 21
Strain the final mixture to remove any bits of zest, etc.
Step 22
Transfer the curd to a sealable container or bowl to chill. If storing in a bowl make sure to cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
Lemon Italian Buttercream
Step 23
Pulse sugar and zest of a lemon in a food processor until zest is all minced in.
Step 24
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
Step 25
While the sugar syrup is heating, put the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Step 26
When the syrup reaches 230°F on the candy thermometer, begin to whip the egg whites on medium/high speed. Whip until the egg whites are stiff.
Step 27
After all the butter has been added, continue to whip the buttercream until it’s thick and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla
Putting it all together
Step 28
Place your first cake layer on your serving plate.
Step 29
Pipe a thin rim of butter cream along the edge of the cake layer. This will help contain the lemon curd. Fill in with half the lemon curd, and top with next layer of cake. Repeating steps to fill that layer
Step 30
Top with remaining layer and frost with remaining buttercream.
Tips
No special items needed.