Best Lemon Layer Cake
This is a very time-intensive cake that I have made as a special dessert for Easter and birthdays. Its a hybrid of 3 different recipes, as I wasn’t able to get great results from any of them until I started monkey-ing with them. Its well worth the chore of making this cake- the end result is light and tart, perfect for Spring.
Servings: 10 people
Ingredients
For cake:
- 3 1/4 cups cake flour
- 8 large egg yolks
- 2 tbsp grated lemon peel
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice (can be a combination of lemon/lime or lemon/pineapple)
For lemon curd:
- 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 8 large egg whites (whisked until blended but not foamy)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
For syrup:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (can be a combination of lemon/lime or lemon/pineapple)
For filling and frosting:
- 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 8- ounce containers chilled mascarpone cheese (cream cheese can be substituted)
Instructions
For lemon curd:
- Combine all ingredients in heavy medium nonaluminum saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and candy thermometer registers 170°F, about 8 minutes (do not boil). Pour into bowl and cool.
For cake:
- Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°Butter and flour four 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Sift flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg whites in 4 additions, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
- Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake cakes until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer pans to racks and cool 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely. Layers will be thin. (Lemon curd and cakes can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill curd. Wrap cake layers separately and store at room temperature.)
For syrup:
- Place sugar in small metal bowl. Add 1/2 cup boiling water; stir to dissolve sugar. Stir in lemon juice.
For filling and frosting:
- Beat whipping cream and sugar in large bowl until peaks form. Add mascarpone to lemon curd in medium bowl; whisk until blended. Fold whipped cream into lemon-mascarpone mixture.
Putting it all together:
- Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Brush with 1/4 of syrup. Spread 1/4 cup lemon curd over, then 1 cup lemon-mascarpone filling. Top with second cake layer; brush with 1/4 of syrup and spread with 1/4 cup lemon curd and 1 cup lemon-mascarpone filling. Repeat with third cake layer, syrup, lemon curd, and filling. Top with fourth cake layer. Brush with remaining syrup, then spread remaining lemon curd over. Spoon 2 cups lemon-mascarpone filling into pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch star tip (to be used for rosettes). Spread remaining lemon-mascarpone filling as a frosting over sides of cake. Pipe small rosettes of frosting over top of cake, covering completely. Cover cake with cake dome; refrigerate at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
Notes
Makes 10 to 12 servings.
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